Mad World
by TheInkredibleHanny
Summary: Sophia is violently thrown into the world of Neverland- not the pretty, bright, place with faries and boys that fly. She is in the Real Neverland. And she has been chosen to fight against 3 other girls to be the next Bride for the New Peter. Read and Review please!
1. Chapter 1

**an: Hey, guys! So this is my twisted little version of Peter Pan. Those of you who have read my other Peter Pan fanfic, _Away We Go, _are probably pretty confused at how different the stories are. But I still hope everyone gives this story a chance and likes it! Enjoy! **

I wake up to jumbled thoughts and images, my vision blurring and then snapping into focus as I groan and sit up.

The first thing I register is the fact that I am lying on the ground. The soil is soft, almost spring-like, as I sit up and look around me.

There are trees everywhere, in every bizarre shade of green. The atmosphere seems smoky, and as I look up through the tops of the trees I can see the sky is just barely visible, a bleary gray color that has no sun, no clouds. A few planes whizz through the gray, firing their guns, then are gone.

I look down at my hands; my fingers covered in the soft dirt, and see that somehow a clump of my hair had been torn out. I know distantly that I should be crying, shaking, _something_. But all I can really think is that the blood on my face is starting to dry and it is warmer outside than I remember.

_Shock_, I mentally tell myself. _You're in shock._ My hair, lying in a pile large enough to where I know I should be frightened, swims in and out of focus as a haze comes over my head once more and I am almost unconscious again. I stare at all of the colors of blonde in the bundle, noticing in a certain light one of the strands seems to shine like silver. The wind blows through the trees, the leaves seemingly whispering untold secrets as I look up to the sky once more.

But then I realize that they actually _are_ whispers, from people that are standing a ways away from me. They look as though they haven't even heard the term "bath" before, and they are all different shapes and sizes.

A small blonde girl walks out from the trees and I immediately size her up: small—very small, knobby knees, either very dirty or very tan skin, with tangled blonde hair and big bright eyes. She is wearing what I think was once a dress, now a dirty brown color that is ripped and torn and almost hangs off of her skeletal frame.

"We aren't supposed to be helping you," she says quietly. "But they've already all woken up. You're the last one. You need to make it to the checkpoint alive before the other girls."

I merely stare at this girl. Is she homeless? Does she live in these woods? As I look at all of the other children, I realize they are just as filthy. "Who are you?" I ask, my voice hoarse.

The girl looks so scared. She is so young; where is her mother? Her father? She wrings her hands and bites her lip. "We're the lost boys," she pronounces in a small voice. "You've been chosen to go to the House. But they can't take all of the chosen girls in. You have to make it before the others do."

And then I remember. It is an odd thing that I recall, but I cannot help but think of my mother lifting the rose that had found itself onto my pillow with shaky fingers. _"You must lock the doors and windows,"_ she said, voice grave. _"You must never let anyone in."_

The story my mother had told me growing up was a simple, no matter how scary. The story that I heard of Peter Pan was the real one, the one about the boy who never grew up—the boy who kidnapped small children and brought them to another realm, one he called Neverland, and deemed them his "lost boys". They would make weapons and machines for him; they built his first house, a large mansion where once every 100 years, there is to be a new Peter Pan and a new chosen Bride to rule Neverland for the next century.

There was originally Peter and his first Bride, Wendy. And they lived forever, happy in Neverland, with the few boys that ran away to Peter, the original Lost Boys. But Wendy and Peter both wanted a legacy in a way, a real child to carry on. Somehow, Peter managed to obtain the one thing for he and his Bride that would ensue the chaos for hundreds of years now.

Mortality.

And now, each new Peter will die after one hundred years on the throne to Neverland. They each choose a Bride and after every wedding, the Bride bears a child—never a girl—to become the next Peter.

The process was fine at first, great even, but then, one century, the new heir of Neverland grew tired of his wife. He had her killed and demanded another Bride, one that he could truly love. The Lost Boys went out and brought back six girls from the other realm and returned to the House with them. Now seeing a new game out of this, the heir demanded that the six fight for his attention and love. They did, and eventually only one girl was left, the new Bride.

The ground beneath my feet begins to rumble and I am thrown violently back into my reality. I snap my attention to the little blonde girl in front of me. "I've been chosen?" I just barely manage to choke out. "I'm a Bride?"

The little girl shakes her head and shoves something at me. I look down to see that she has thrown a new-looking navy bag into my lap. "This is for you. You have to get to the house before the fighter jets come over here and shoot you down. Go," she urges when I still do not make an attempt to move.

The next second I am up and running, not before grabbing the pile of my hair next to me on the ground. I delve deeper into the trees, not stopping until I am gasping for air and my legs begin to shake. I collapse by a large tree and cradle the ball of hair in my arms. I begin to sob. I can hear nothing but the sound of my hiccupping breath in this dense forest. I wonder idly if I'm having a very bad, very vivid dream. I decide to open the backpack the little girl had given me and rifle through it.

I furrow my brow as I pull out a canteen of water, a map, and an intricately scrawled invitation of some sort. I set the former two objects down and open up the card, my fingers leaving tracks of dirt where they touch the stark white parchment.

_Welcome!_ it reads, _We are honored to tell you that you have been selected to participate in the traditional Choosing Ceremony. We think that you would be an excellent candidate for a Bride and hope that you will continue to work with us in helping deliberate which one of you will be the next Bride. Good luck, and enjoy!_

I am so scared that I drop the card and scoot away from it. So it's true. I am Chosen to compete against other kidnapped girls to become the next Bride. I am almost sick, but my horrid headache overpowers my nausea and all I want is to curl up somewhere and sleep until my head stops screaming in agony.

I see the shiny strand of hair in the pile once more and pick at it until I find it. I pull it out of the pile and realize that it is, in fact, a necklace. I examine it closely by holding it up to my face. It is a very pretty looking gemstone, a crimson color, maybe the size of the pad of my pinky finger. I quickly clasp it around my neck, not knowing if it will come in handy sometime in the future, and stand.

I know my only chance of survival in this world rests within the House. I begin to trek through the woods, too dizzy to really study the map that was in my bag. I stumble around the trees, still groggy from the drugs they must have injected into my system. I come across a river and begin to follow it; I know that the river, at least, leads _somewhere_.

After what seems like hours I hear the sounds of pursuit. I turn quickly and see there is a girl following me, none to secretively.

She is blonde, like me, with the same body type. She looks enough like me to where I shake my head to clear the fuzz. As she slowly nears me, though, I can see that where my eyes are blue, hers are a lovely brown. I can also see that she is terrified. She is probably just as lost and confused as I am.

I open my mouth to tell her that I mean her no harm-

And she lunges for me.

I am knocked backwards onto the earth. The breath is ripped painfully from my lungs and I am still for a moment, too stunned to move. But the girl is now clawing at me. Her nails find purchase along my cheek and I feel my flesh strip away, the blood welling from the wound. I snap out of my daze and shove her off of me.

We both spring to our feet as quick as we can and stand facing each other. I know we are both terrified, but I don't want to hurt her.

"I'm not here to hurt you," I say out loud. "I can help you."

The girl shakes her head. "There can only be one," she says quietly, so quietly that I have to lean forward to hear her.

But by the time I register her words it's already too late. I know what she means now: we look so much alike; no way they would allow two girls so similar to be entered into the House alive. But by the time it clicks, she has shoved me backwards and I hit the water of the river.

My heart freezes in my chest and I instinctually suck in for air, but get lungs full of river water instead.

I break the surface and cough out the water inside of me, only to have a fresh wave bring me under. The current is too strong for me to fight against. I kick back to the surface, all to no avail. I choke out a scream as I see the ledge, the waterfall that I am about to plummet down.

I am dead.

**an: Thank you for giving this story a shot! I know it's nothing like your average Peter Pan story, but I still hope you enjoyed! Let me know what you think in a review, please!**


	2. Chapter 2

**an: Hello my lovelies! A big huge thank you to all of my readers that gave this story a shot! Kudos to you, my friends! I wrote this last chapter pretty late at night, so it might be a bit jumbled, but I figured Sophia just came to from a near-death experience, so she's allowed to be a little fuzzed up.. thats still a poor excuse but whatevs.C; Tell me what you guys think so far! Enjoy!**

_Through the haze and fear that rips through my body, I realize I have been spit onto shore by the unrelenting river I was thrown into. I cough and gag and scream, all to no avail. There is mud and blood smeared in my eyes and I can hardly breathe. My lungs are on fire and I can feel my conciousness fading fast. I continue to scream until I can no longer make a sound. _

_I feel warmth. _

_There are arms around me, shaking me. "Hey," a voice says in my ear. "Hey, stay with me." _

_I want to open my mouth and tell him to let me go. I dont want to stay. I dont want to be here in this place where such horrible things happen. _

_I want this voice to let me sleep. _

_But it is persistent. _

_"Dont give up on me, Blondie. I know you're stronger than that." The voice says more, but I dont listen, I open my mouth and try my hardest to form words._

_"Let me sleep," I manage, though it comes out more slurred than I would have liked. _

_I hear the voice sigh in what I think is relief. Or annoyance."Fine, Blondie. Sleep." _

_And I do._

I come to with no bruises or scars, though I can still taste the river I fell into in the back of my throat. I sit up to realize I'm in an ornate bed, with frilly soft sheets and walls painted a pretty rose color.

A girl is standing at the foot of the bed, watching me. She is small and blonde, like the little girl I saw in the forest- though much cleaner. She is wearing what seems to be a sort of habit for a nun, without the headpiece. She gives a weak smile when our eyes meet and whispers, "Hello."

"Hi," I try to say, but my throat is so constricted it comes out in a whisper as well; I try to cough but only end up making things worse.

The little girl goes to the table beside my bed and picks up a glass filled with water. Handing it to me, she says, "My name is Alice. I'm here to help."

I drain the glass of water in three gulps and reply, "Sophia."

"Pleasure to meet you," she says, taking the empty glass from my shaking hand and setting it back on the table where it came from. "You took a nasty beating in that river. Lucky you were turned up on the shore. Only 3 girls made it before you."

_Lucky_. That words rings around my head in such volumes that I'm very dizzy for a few seconds. When the rest of what Alice had said makes it into my thoughts, I sit back on the pillow and furrow my brow. "But I didn't make it past the gate. They should have killed me."

"You were closer than you thought. You are the first exception I've heard of in a very long time. I haven't heard of anyone being pulled in without reaching the gate first." Alice reaches gently for my hand and I let her tug me from the bed and bring me over to a vanity table across the room.

She continues talking as she begins fluffing my hair and pulling it in different ways away from my face. It is naturally blonde and wavy, and looks like it has been cleaned, which is probably why I see none of the blood stains that coated my head earlier. I only listen to bits and pieces. The rest of me is still trying to rationalize the whole situation. There is no way that I am really in a different.. realm? Dimension? Whatever this place may be, it isn't real. It can't be.

"We thought you were a Lost Boy when Cassius found you, you were so dirty, but you had the necklace on. Peter wanted to throw you out, have you killed, but Cassius argued that it would be no fun with only 3 girls." She speaks lightly, using names that twist and whirl around through my head. "I must say, of all of Peter's legacies, Cassius is the most unique I've seen. To stick up for someone like that? He _is_ rather rude and haughty, mind you, but still."

I shake my head, undoing whatever Alice had just finished with my hair. She furrows her brow and starts over. "Who's Peter? And Cassius?" I ask.

"Peter is, of course, Peter Pan's great great grandson, Peter VI. He married Vivian and they had a son named Cassius. He's the next in line, Peter VII."

_How confusing_, I think to myself. They all name themselves Peter. Like King Leo and his kids.

That nonchalant thought fills me with a sudden dread. How simply I am accepting my fate. My fingers flex uselessly in my lap. I want so badly to run.

"I for one, am glad Cassius won the argument. You're much more pleasant than the other three. I think he'll take a liking to you quickly."

I don't want him to. And if my being silent makes me more pleasant than the other three Chosen, than how much more awful could they be?

Dinner is filled with a silence that cuts me to the core. The three other Chosen girls are sitting quietly, examining me as I examine them in return. The girl across the table to my left is small, with beautifully colored and curled strawberry blonde hair and pale skin dotted with freckles. Her green eyes slice into mine and she grins, not exactly kindly.

The girl to her left is pretty as well, with long dark hair that flows down her back. She looks utterly bored, almost as if she's accepted the fact that her demise is here, now- or soon. She looks at none of the other girls at the table. She has big grey eyes and delicate features, almost like a small child, or a doll that you would have played with as a child.

The girl next to me has dirty blonde hair, wildly curly, and a round face. Her eyes are a lovely Carmel color, her complexion is all coffee-and-cream. She gives me a nervous smile when she catches my eye. I would have returned the smile, but her eyes remind me of the blonde girl in the woods when I was trying to find my way to the House, making me almost cringe and look away.

"Well," the redhead says so suddenly that I jump, "I'm Daphne."

When no one else speaks, she rolls her eyes. "Seriously? You guys can't even tell me your names?"

But before anyone can utter another word, the large wooden door on the other side of the room is thrown open and in steps a man—more likely a boy, he seems to be around my age, maybe eighteen or nineteen. His walk is filled with the confidence of a prince, his smile promises trouble. He throws himself into a chair between Daphne, whose eyes have grown wide with affection, and the girl with dark hair.

He is tall and lean, well-built and handsome. He slouches in his chair, an obvious I-could-care-less attitude about him. He has dark hair with long mussed tendrils and lightly tanned skin. His face is all planes and angles, an interesting piece of art: thick eyebrows, fine boned nose, angular jaw, and a pair of ocher eyes that seemed to shine like the sun framed behind dark lashes.

His smiles a daring smile as he looks over all of us. "Ladies," he says.

Daphne giggles and he humors her with a sly grin and a wink.

"Alright," he says finally when none of us speak, "let's see if I have this right." He looks at Daphne who is practically falling out of her chair she is swooning so terribly. "You, my dear, must be Daphne."

She blushes and giggles once more. I think I lose my appetite- if I had one to begin with, that is.

He turns to the girl with dark hair. "And you must be the lovely Gabrielle."

She says nothing, simply nods and makes brief eye contact with him.

"That makes this beauty out to be the one named Kinsley," he says directed to the girl next to me with curly hair.

She simply gives one curt nod and a small, unsure smile.

"And you," he says, turning those golden eyes to me, "I don't believe we've had the pleasure- well, with you conscious anyway." He smiles handsomely and my stomach turns.

When I say nothing, simply stare wide-eyed, his smile fades.

"I suppose I should tell you who I am, of course-" he begins.

"I know who you are, Cassius," I say, and a thrill goes through me as I say his name. I don't know exactly where this confidence is coming from, but I latch onto it tightly. Confidence will help free me from this place. "I'm Sophia."

The smile returns, this one more gentle than fierce. A lion trying not to frighten the gazelle he is about to eat. "You sure clean up nice," he comments, "you were a muddy mess the last time I saw you."

Daphne giggles once more.

"Thank you," I say, "for saving my life." I am sincere when I say this.

His face gives nothing away but I can see a change in his eyes. "Don't mention it," he says out loud with a casual shrug.

The table lapses into another silence. I fiddle with my hands in my lap, a nervous habit, and try not to stare at Cassius for too long. It seems that for as handsome as he is, an almost otherworldly beauty, he should have no problem bringing girls with him into this world willingly. Already I see that Daphne has fallen head over heels for this boy that has kidnapped her from her home and taken her as hostage here. I wonder if the whole taking-women-against-their-will routine is more of a tradition than a request by the bachelor himself. Maybe he doesnt even want a bride. Maybe he's a monster just like the rest of these people and I am merely trying to make an excuse for him because he has the face of an angel.

But I can tell that he is no angel. His smile is one that tells me he doesnt play by the rules very often. It is that specific smile, though, that makes me want to know what makes him tick. I want out of this world as soon as possible, but I realize as he takes in the women around him with that smile and those energetic eyes, that I want to get to know him more than anyone here.

"The dinner tonight is being prepared right now. It looks simply divine. I hope you all are hungry," Cassius says, more to fill the silence than to actually show that he cares whether or not we are hungry.

"Oh, delightful!" Daphne crows. She tries engaging Cassius into a conversation to which he only half-commits to.

At the thought of food, my stomach churns. I can still taste the silt of the river in the back of my mouth, though I must have brushed my teeth at least five different times before coming down to this room.

The room itself is something that I would have never dreamed of stepping foot in. Straight out of a fairy-tale, I can only picture someone such as Cinderella eating here with her prince charming. For a prison cafeteria, this place is a very nice one. The trim of the room was an ornately carved wood, matching the chairs and the massive table that we were all sitting at. The room was large, like a smaller-scaled ballroom. The ceiling was tall and spacious, painted to match the sky and adorned with a gigantic chandalier. I imagine myself up there, lying across one of the large support beams, surrounded by shimmering crystal, staring up at a sky I wish I could escape into.

It is then that I realize someone is speaking to me. I snap to attention to see a slow grin forming on Cassius' face.

"What?" I ask, defensive.

"You really shouldnt play so hard to get this quickly," he says in a mock-confidential tone, "wait until I get to know you some more before the love-games start." He winks.

"Maybe she's just slow," Daphne says in a poorly impersonated empathetic tone.

"Maybe you're trying too hard," I shoot back to her before I can stop myself.

Cassius laughs as Daphne turns a bright red shade, her skintone almost matching her hair color. She shoots me a glare and I know I have just made an enemy.

Before Daphne can give a retort, though, a man walks through the door, dressed in a nice shirt and pants, probably as young as Alice, with similar features. Maybe they are related? I would have to ask.

"Dinner is served," the boy says in his most authoritave voice.

"Well," says Cassius, "it's about time. I'm starved; let's eat!"

I am dreading this meal.

**an: Wellllp, thats chappie 2! PLEASE review and tell me what you think of it so far! I really have big plans for this story! Cant wait to hear from you guys! Thanks for reading! **


	3. Chapter 3

**an: Hi guys! So this is just a little chappie that I came up with on the spot! Enjoy!**

It is after dinner that I make my escape.

It isn't the most genius of plans, I admit, but I needed to get out of this place as soon as I possibly could. It was after dinner was served, some cooked animal that I didn't have the heart to consume, that I set the plan into motion. Asking to be excused to the bathroom was probably the most cliche of escape excuses, but Cassius consented easily enough. After listing off a set of quick directions, I stood from my place at the table and left the room with Daphne glaring at me the entire time.

Once in the hallway, I quickened my pace. I hated the dress that Alice had forced me into, a short pink frock that had me tugging at the hem every few seconds, but she told me it made me look charming an innocent. My hair was pinned and braided messily on top of my head, giving me the illusion that bugs were crawling through my hair. I shake my head to clear my thoughts and search for the nearest exit.

I finally figure that I should break through a window when I hear footsteps at the other end of the hall. I run into what seems like a small pantry full of canned and bagged goods and head to the small window in the room. I manage to wedge the window mostly open with my foot, but it is an old window and I have to squeeze myself through the rest of the way.

I drop gracelessly to the ground and quickly stand. I look around to see if anyone noticed that far-from-sneaky attempt at escape, but see no one, hear no one. I am in the clear.

I run across the ground toward the line of trees. It seems that this entire place is surrounded by forest. The only clearing I had come across was this house, the rest was simply endless tree lines. I try to retrace my steps to where I was first dropped. Maybe the Lost Boys are still there. Maybe there is a way back home from there. I pray that I can get out of this place before nightfall. Already the sky is turning a darker shade of grey and I see hints of pink and yellow giving me some hope that maybe there is a sun in this world. I don't pause to search for one though, I simply keep running.

Once in the trees, any evidence of sun immediately disappears and I am almost completely immersed in darkness. I try running in a straight line, but I realize relatively soon that I am not going in the same direction I was to begin with. When I see a clearing, I run straight for it, not stopping.

Once I break through the line of trees, I stumble and stop at the place I had ended up. I am on the face of a cliff, and there is a large gazebo made of stone standing in the light of the setting sun. Cautiously I walk toward it, my hand outstretched as if to tell it I mean no harm.

Once I reach the magnificent sculpture, I realize that there are engraved carvings running along the stone edge of it. A boy and a girl. I slowly walk around the stone, tracing my fingers along the pictures, letting them tell me their story. There is a boy and a girl. As far as I could tell, they ran away together. I pass a picture of them fighting people in large hats with plumed feathers and old fashioned swords. I almost laugh when I see the two dancing around a fire with people with feathers in their hair and drums in their hands. How long ago was all of this carved?

I finally come full circle around the gazebo-

and stop short with a small scream.

"You know the penalty for running away is death, right?" Cassius asks casually.

I say nothing, continue to stare at him like an idiot.

"Just thought I'd let you know, so you can beg for your life when you are caught and convicted."

"How did you find me?" I blurt out.

He smiles that gentle smile again and gestures for me to sit on the stone bench of the gazebo with him. I only do so to make him more willing to cut my death penalty as a sentence. I leave some room between us, not wanting to get too close, but I realize that without the sun over here, the stone is cold, the air is cold, the earth is cold.

And Cassius is warm.

We sit in silence for a few moments, him staring out at the forest beyond the edge of the cliff below us, me staring at him. I don't want to die. I want to go home. The setting sun makes his eyes glow with a light that made him seem almost ethereal. I want to scoot closer to him, but I refrain, too afraid to move.

"I know the way out of here," he says, finally.

I jump at the sound of the voice, but then furrow my brow. "What do you mean?" I ask. I hope he knows the way back to his house.

"The way to the world you came from," he says lightly. "I know how to get there."

My heart picks up a beat. "Why are you telling me?" I ask, trying to hide the hope in my voice.

He looks at me and smiles. "Let's face it, Blondie," he says, "you and I aren't really made for each other, cant you tell?"

I furrow my brow, but nod anyway. How could he tell so soon?

"I know how bad you want to go home," he says, almost distantly. "Don't run away again," he finishes.

"But how can I-"

He silences me with a look. "You wont win this contest, Blondie. Your heart simply isn't in it. When you fail one of the tests we put you through, you'll be cast out to become one of the lost boys for eternity. I'll tell you the way to get you back home once you're cast out."

It seems like a good deal to me, but it was such a selfless gesture on his part that I have a hard time believing that. "You would do that?" I ask.

He simply nods, staring ahead of him with an almost pained expression. "Not all of us here are bad, Blondie."

"My name is Sophia."

That gets his attention back to me. He smiles, a genuine smile that causes the corners of his eyes to crinkle. I like this smile. I imagine that he doesn't use it very often. I want to see it more often. "Well, I'm Cassius."

"I think we've already established that," I say quietly. "Thanks for the reintroduction, though."

His smile fades, only barely. "Believe it or not, Sophia," he says, "I think you'll end up liking it here."

"Not as much as I love my family," I instantly reply. Those words hurt coming out of my mouth, but I had to say them to someone. I hug my sides to hold me together and stare ahead of me. Here I am, spilling my guts to some stranger, while my family is at home crying over my empty bed. "And if you know the way out, I don't see why you aren't getting the hell out of here as well."

We lapse back into silence as I try to calm myself down.

Once I am sure my heart beat has slowed and my eyes were dry, I turned and looked at Cassius. He is already looking at me, studying me in a way that makes me want to crawl out of my skin and blow away with the next gust of wind, but I am more than confident when I open my mouth and speak. "I know this is your home, Cassius, but it isn't mine."

He nods after a pause, accepting it. "Very well. Let me show you the way back to the house."

Over the next few days I find myself at the gazebo every night. Nothing new has happened at the House, and I crave the outside, what little sun is provided, like I crave air or sleep.

The third day of my captivity, I am sitting at the gazebo with my chin resting on my knees. I am in a pair of jeans and a sweater that feels like a soft blanket.

When I hear the sound of approach, I snap to attention, but realize that it is just Cassius. He had not talked to me since the first night here, since I told him that I would never make this my home. I am mildly surprised to see him here, but hide it as he sits down on the bench next to me. I huff out a breath and try to calm down my racing heart as I peek sideways at him.

He sits casually next to me, his forearms resting on his knees, hands clasped loosely together. With the setting sun, he looks almost like a silhouette. I am almost too busy noticing how the orange sky turns his eyes to fire to realize he is speaking.

"...he told me to never leave," he concludes. I stare at him a moment, piecing together what he had just said.

"So you aren't going to leave here?" I ask, reading into the conclusion of his story. "Ever?"

He shakes his head. It is a sad gesture, accompanied by a sad smile. "Where would I go?" he asks. Before I can reply, he cuts me off. "You speak of a family," he says, staring at me intently with blazing eyes. "A family in a different realm, far from here. I don't have that, Sophia. My family is, and always will be, here." His voice sounds confident, but there is an undercurrent to it that I just barely pick up. He knows that there is no escape from here.

"I guess I just don't understand why someone would willingly choose this," I say with a small shrug. I suddenly can't meet his eyes. I miss my family so much it hurts. I can feel his stare, but I don't turn until he makes to get up.  
He holds his hand out to me and in a last ditch effort I take it.

He leads me over to the edge of the cliff we sit on. "Humor me a moment," he says, his smile casual, but his eyes fiercely determined to prove his point.

I nod and look out over where we stand. From this vantage point, I can see the forest below us. The sinking sun lights the trees from behind, shadowing some, setting others ablaze with orange and yellow light. I can see the beauty of this place, suddenly, bathed in a light I thought would have never existed in a land like this.

"It's beautiful," I say in an expelled breath.

Cassius waits for more, but I don't give it. I am staring at the tree line, wondering which part of the forest I was dumped in to begin with. Cassius seems to realize that there was an undercurrent to my last words. "But?" he pries.

"But sad," I say after a moment of thought.

"Sad?" he asks, looking at me now. I can feel his eyes searching me, trying to figure me out.

I try to form words that would make sense. "A snake, to some, is beautiful," I start.

"Until it kills you," Cassius finishes for me, catching on.

I nod, simply. "No matter how beautiful, would you really pay the price of eternal war and discord for it?"

Cassius is clearly exasperated. "You aren't seeing it right," he says. He wraps an arm around my shoulder and turns me to see everything he is. "Picture this place without the war," he says quietly. "Picture this place as it once was: a place where you ran away _to,_ not from. Picture the real Neverland."

And for a moment, I did. I saw the beauty and splendor. I saw what children in the past dreamed about when they had no place to call their home.

I turned to face him, my heart jumping when I realized I was now in the circle of his arm, an embrace that was a bit more intimate than I was ready for. "Cassius," I say quietly, calmly, as if talking to a child. "It isn't like that. Not anymore."

He expels a breath, stirring the hair around my face and warming my cheeks. "I know," he says. "But ever since I was little- ever since I found this place- I've been dreaming of what it used to be. I always thought that when I was to become the next Peter, if I picked the perfect Bride..." he trails off, suddenly can't look at me anymore.

I want to tell him that other Peters before him might have thought the same thing. But I know Cassius well enough to realize that he is a determined boy. When he has an idea in his head, there is no telling him otherwise. I know he won't be swayed.

But he sighs, giving up for the moment. "I'm only telling you this because I know you won't be around much longer. You won't have to worry about this at all in the future." He smiles a small smile.

I don't know why, but my heart stops painfully in my chest when I hear those words. I stare at him for a long moment, at a loss for words.

He reaches up and brushes his thumb across my cheekbone, kick-starting my heart back into overtime. "I should probably head back," he says. "Daphne has a fit every hour I'm not with her."

"Yes, poor Daphne," I say, though my heart really isn't into the sarcasm. He pulls away and heads toward the tree line. I don't follow. Instead, I turn and look out over the forest of Neverland once more. The sun has almost completely gone down, shading the sky in hues of blue, purples, and reds. I sigh, wanting so badly two completely separate lives, but I know it's impossible.

**an: pleaaaaaaaaaasssssseeeeee review my lovelies! Thanks for reading! Till next time!C:**


	4. Chapter 4

**an: Thanks for the reviews so far, guys! It really means a lot! Anywho, here's the next chappie! Enjoy!**

It isn't long into my captivity that I finally lose it.

We are all sitting around the table once again, eating in a silence I've grown accustomed to since my captivity. Cassius has been trying to engage us in conversation, yet no one speaks but Daphne, who clings to every word the Prince has to give. I take it all with good grace, moving my food around my plate and staring at the wood grains of the table.

"Oh, Cassius," Daphne giggles, "you're so funny!"

Cassius merely smiles before turning to look at the rest of us. "Anything you ladies would like to add to the conversation?" he asks politely.

Gabrielle and Kinsley shake their heads in unison, not looking up from their plates; I simply continue to move my food around my plate, waiting until we're dismissed and I can retreat back to my room.

"Something wrong with the food, Sophia?" he asks me, motioning toward my untouched food.

"Not really hungry," I say.

"You've hardly eaten since you got here." Is that concern I hear in his voice?

I look up to meet his gaze and feel my heart falter for a moment. He truly is handsome. "I'm fine," I say.

He still looks at me with a furrowed brow, but drops the subject, seeming happy enough that I at least spoke to him. "So where are you originally from?" he asks me, a look in his eye that makes me almost believe that he is genuinely curious.

"A small town in Kansas," I merely say.

Daphne snorts. "Figures," she mutters.

"Where were you from?" I automatically ask her.

She sits up proudly. "Las Angeles. I was very popular where I came from."

"You must miss it terribly," I say a bit too sarcastically.

"It's funny," she retorts, "how happy I am here with probably hundreds of people back home mourning my disappearance while you're here acting like the world is about to end because you left your small hick village behind you.

I am out of my chair a second later. "Those _hicks_ back home are worth one hundred of you," I say.

"Oh, don't get your trailer trash in a twist" She waves a hand airily. "You're making a scene."

My hands ball into fists as I sit myself back down.

She looks at Cassius sitting next to her, who is studying me as she whispers in his ear. "How like a small town girl."

Oh, I'll show her small town girl.

Within the next few minutes I have thrown my chair back, tossed my plate into a wall, and stormed out of the House without looking back.

I run until I am in the midst of trees in the forest. I fall to the ground and stare up at the sky through lowered lashes. I don't know how much longer I will be able to take being in this world. I feel like crying, but my eyes remain dry.

Cassius drops down next to me on the ground and crosses his arms over his legs.

I huff out an exasperated breath. "You always think that crowding me will help. It doesn't."

"I, unlike you, am looking out for your life. I think you'll thank me later."

I rip out a clump of grass, frustrated. "I don't see how you teasing me will help ease my death sentence any."

"If I'm with you while you're past the Gate, than you're technically still following the rules," Cassius says in a matter-of-fact tone. His eyes are wide and sincere when he speaks, none of the cold calculations he usually wears when around others.

The air smells of pine and soil, it lifts my hair when it blows past my face and throws it gently over my shoulders. I close my eyes and think that I am home.

But Cassius, as he always does, brings me back. Lightly touching my shoulder, he says, "It isn't that bad here, Blondie."

I let my breath out. "I don't think I can take another one of Daphne's ridiculous attempts to get under my skin and under your clothes." Like I'd care.

He laughs, carefree. "Jealous?"

"If only," I simply retort.

"No matter how green you get, you don't have to throw plates like a crazy person," there is a hint of his devilish smile when he says this.

"This place is making me crazy," I say. "I want to go home."

There is no denying the longing in my voice. It is a pain so real and raw that Cassius is silent for a few moments.

Then, "I wish," he breathes, "I could take you there."

I swivel my head and look at him.

"So at least you'd shut up about it," he finishes in his same quiet voice. He looks at me sideways and rolls his eyes. "Seriously, Blondie, get used to it here. You're not going anywhere for awhile."

Without another word, I propel myself up from the ground and move farther into the trees.

Cassius follows me without hesitation. "Daphne may be annoying, but at least she's accepted her fate," he says.

I stop and turn to look him in the eye. "She may have accepted her fate, but that's what makes her weak. You can't get me to give up that easily, Cassius."

If I expected an argument, I don't get one. Instead, I get a contemplative nod. "Suit yourself," he says. "You can play hard to get, Sophia, but it won't get you home any faster."

But before I can give my sassiest retort, I am brought to the ground by an unknown force. I realize almost immediately that it is a person. Did someone jump on me from out of the trees? I shove with all of my weight and sit up to see the man that had landed on me.

A violent scream rips its way out of my throat and I scoot away from the body as fast as I can.

Cassius is already kneeling before the dead man, inspecting it. He purses his lips as he checks the man over. "Definitely one of Peter's," he says quietly.

Something else falls from the tree to land in a heap next to me and I scream once more.

"Quiet," Cassius hisses, "you'll wake the dead with those screams." I am rewarded with his wicked smile.

I turn to see that what landed next to me is a length of rope. I unwillingly look to the body to see that there is a noose around his twisted neck.

Cassius flips the body over so that it is on its back. He sucks in a sharp breath when he sees what is spray painted onto the mans chest.

Gathering up my courage, I shakily stand and join Cassius' side. Written in red paint across the front of the man's uniform are symbols that I can't decipher.

"It's the language of the Pirates," Cassius explains to me. "I think the closest thing I can compare it to for your world is Ancient Greek. Or Russian."

Broad comparisons. "What does it say," I whisper.

"It's their motto: provotsirovatʹ. unichtozhitʹ. Meaning 'Provoke, destroy'."

"Cheery," I say.

His smile is faint. "That's one way to describe them."

A twig snaps somewhere off behind us. We both spin and look, but I see no one.

"They're still here," Cassius says quietly.

I hear a low whistling sound, and then a bullet hits the bark of the tree next to us.

"Go," Cassius commands, shoving me farther into the trees.

"What's going on?" I ask as I stumble forward.

Cassius grabs my hand roughly and pulls me after him. "If I stop to explain we'll both be dead."

I don't like where this is going.

**an: There you guys go! I hope you enjoyed! Review and tell me what you guys think! Peace! **


	5. Chapter 5

**AN: HI GUYS! WOO NEW CHAPTER! enjoy!(:**

I have never run so fast in my life.

Jumping and ducking and turning and dodging, I am clinging on to Cassius' outstretched hand for dear life as he leads me through the dark forrest of Neverland. I chance a look behind me to see a group of men running almost as quickly after us. I stumble and fall to one knee.

"Seriously?" Cassius asks incredulously. He wraps an arm around me and hauls me up only to push me forward once again.

"I thought..." I panted as we continued to run. "I thought you could fly."

Much to my surprise, Cassius laughs. A booming laugh that echoes through the trees around us. "That would come in handy, now, wouldn't it?" he doesn't sound out of breath in the least.

I have no chance to respond; a bullet rips its way through the trees toward us and whips past my head, the force throwing my hair in front of my face as it cracks through a tree. Cassius grabs me and turns me so that none of the bark hits my eyes, pushing me in another direction and grabbing my hand once more.

My legs are beginning to burn and my chest feels as though it is on fire. It doesn't help that Alice had forced me into a frilly dress, now stained and muddy from running and falling. I grip tighter to Cassius' hand as he hauls me after him. "Cassius," I gasp, "I can't-"

"Too bad," Cassius snaps before knocking my legs out from under me a second later.

I would scream if I wasn't so surprised. I hit the ground hard and slide down a steep incline that we have come across. I my hand was ripped from Cassius' and I scramble to grab onto something to slow my steady decline. Why had he thrown me down here? To kill me? I look for him, but saw no sign of him.

But then I hear Cassius curse under his breath and grab me roughly. I can already tell that I am going to be cut and bruised, which would worry me more if I wasn't already so wrapped up in the question of living through this.

We reach the bottom of the steep drop and I roll a few feet until I stop completely. I groan into the ground that I am lying face down on, the soft dirt pressing against my face. I feel even worse than when I was first dropped into Neverland- at least then I was drugged. Here I feel every emotion, every heartbeat, every injury that covers me.

"They're still coming," Cassius says, crawling over to me. "Come on. Get up, Soph."

"Oh, no, I'm fine, don't worry," I mumble sarcastically as I help myself to my feet and turn to look at him. He looks... handsome. It is an odd thought, but one I can't help but think. His hair is windblown and his clothes are rumpled. The tops of his cheeks are a dark shade of red and his golden eyes are bright with adrenaline.

I hear the sounds of pursuit moments later: yells and branches cracking as they try and figure out how to best get to us.

"If we stand still for too long, they'll shoot," Cassius says as he grabs my arm and tugs me after him.

I am so terrified and worn out I feel like passing out. Cassius can tell immediately when I start to sway. "We're almost there," he says roughly. "And if you pass out on me, I swear I'm leaving you behind."

I want to ask where exactly we are headed, but can't find the breath to form words. _My word, _I thought, _I am out of shape. _I looked down at the gold-colored dress that Alice had put me in and silently reminded myself to yell at her about it later... when I get home... If I get home... from... wherever we were heading.

I hear Cassius breathe a sigh of relief. "We're here," he says.

I am either so happy or so dizzy that I fall once more. This time, though, Cassius merely scoops me up into his arms and uses the momentum to slide both of us sideways and into a barely noticeable hole in the ground. Darkness surrounds us, and I would scream if I wasn't so out of breath. We fall a short distance, and then I hear Cassius' feet hit the compact dirt. I am still cradled in his arms like a small child, uncaring for the moment.

But, no matter what kind of moment I am having, Cassius is having a different moment. He drops me unceremoniously to the ground, only catching my elbow when I stumble forward. "They probably didn't see us go through here. But we should probably keep moving anyway."

"Whatever you say," I manage to get out, finally catching my breath.

I can feel him smile in the dark. "Here," he says, and I feel him take my hand once more. Now, out of all of the chaos and madness, I actually have the common sense to blush at the contact. I realize next that I am a muddy mess, and my dress must be torn up by now. He squeezes my hand as if to reassure me. "Sorry about that," he says finally.

"Yeah," is all I can say for a moment. We have started walking, and I still can't see anything ahead of me. "What was that exactly?" I ask.

"An ambush," he replies. "I'm sorry you were dragged into it."

"Well, I think I would have been even more sorry if you hadn't have followed me out into the woods."

"This is very true," is all he has to say to that.

We lapse into a comfortable silence. From what I gather, we are in a tunnel of some sort. It is dark and dank and smells of earth. I try not to picture the walls closing in on me, keeping me trapped in the dark forever. Tree roots are hanging above me, brushing themselves through my hair, making me flinch every now and then. Cassius laughs when I trip over a rock and knock myself into him.

"Steady," he says.

I wish I could see his face. "Where are we going, exactly?" I finally ask. My voice feels louder than it should in the small space.

"A friend's," he says. "We'll stay there until I know things are okay, then we'll head back to the House."

I nod, but realize quickly that he can't see me. "Okay," I say.

"Sophia?" Cassius asks me.

"Yes?" I ask, cautious.

"Do you really not like Daphne that much?"

I expel a breath. "Well, none of this would have happened if I wasn't such a small town hick, right?" I ask with a small laugh.

"Don't say that," Cassius says so firmly that I blush once more, thankful for the dark.

"No, I don't think I hate her that much," I finally admit. "And I'm not jealous," I say quickly, interrupting whatever comment he is about to make.

He laughs quietly.

"Cassius?" I ask after a moment.

"Yes?" his voice is amused.

"Did you call me 'Soph'?" I ask. "When we were running, I mean."

He considered. "I don't remember."

"I think you did," I hedged.

"And what if I did?" he simply asks, seeming unfazed.

"I don't know," I merely say. To me, nicknames seem very personal. And if he just blurted it out... "Cassius?" I ask once more.

"Hmm?" he asks, sounding somewhat distant.

"Do you like Daphne?"

He stops walking so abruptly that I am afraid I've offended him somehow. I open my mouth to apologize, to take it back, but he opens his mouth before me. "We're here," he says. "Keep by me at all times, okay?"

"Got it," I say, wary as to what is on the other side of the wall.

"And, please," he adds quietly, dropping his hand from mine, "don't get yourself killed. I'll have a lot of explaining to do."

Before I can retort, he moves and a bright light appears in front of me. We've arrived.

**AN: Thanks for reading guys! Sorry for the long wait! Review and tell me what you think pretty pretty please!C:**


	6. Chapter 6

**AN: guys, seriously from the bottom of my heart, thank you so much for these reviews. I'm packing up to move to college and its been a really sad week, but your guy's positive words make me feel like I'm on cloud 9.C: **

Beyond the bright light at the end of the tunnel isn't anything that I am expecting. As I stepped through, I suppose I don't really know what I was expecting, but it certainly wasn't a bar.

That's the closest I can come to finding a word to describe this place. It looks as though it is hollowed out under a large tree; the walls are made of packed dirt and the ends of tree roots hang from the ceiling. There are will-o'-the-wisps flying about the cavern, giving off a warm glow around. As I step through the small entrance in the wall, I think it looks warm and inviting, somewhere I can relax by myself and totally unwind.

Until the noise hits me. It is like I suddenly receive the gift of hearing as soon as I step into the room. Shouts and laughter and jangling piano notes echo about the room and brush harshly against my ears. I cringe back a moment, unused to this noise. Cassius seems completely at his element though, and tugs me forward before the door shuts behind us.

"And who have we here?" barks a rough voice and I jump. A large man lumbers up and takes my hand in his, holding it to his nose and inhaling deeply before planting a kiss on it. He takes up most of my vision, wearing a large plaid shirt and ripped jeans. He reminds me of a lumberjack. He has rough stubble lining his cheeks and dark rumpled hair. His bright blue eyes hold mine as he smiles.

Cassius gives me a stern look when I rip my hand from the man's and take a step back. "Bud," he says casually, unsmiling. "What's it take to get a guy a drink in here?"

Bud's roaring laughter is all I can hear for a few seconds. "Anything for my dearest Prince, eh, Cas?"

"If you want to think of it like that," is all Cassius says. As Bud turns and walks away, he looks at me, his golden eyes filled with amusement, though everything else on his face betrays nothing. He wipes a bit of dirt from my cheek and raises his eyebrows at me. "Be good," he says before turning and following Bud.

_So much for never leaving your side, _I think as I watch him go. When I am used to the cavern itself, I begin to study the people inside of it. They are every age, every shape and size. They all look very dirty, all very hungry. I feel a pang of guilt nab at me as I look down at my own dress. It was beautiful before the forest had dirtied it, probably the nicest thing I have ever worn- certainly the nicest thing any of these people have ever seen.

I keep my eyes on one girl in particular. She is small and narrow, blonde like me, and dirty as well. When she turns and I see her face I gasp as it all comes together. She is the girl that I woke up in this place to. She is the girl that I have been thinking about constantly during my captivity. I owe her my life, practically. And whats more...

"Alice?" I whisper to myself. It cant be. But she looks so uncannily like the the little girl that is practically ever asking to serve me that I have to rub my eyes to make sure I am not hallucinating.

The little girl notices my stare and abruptly turns, heading in the other direction.

"Wait!" I say loudly, following her, questions bubbling in my mind.

Before I can really gain on her though, a hand presses against my shoulder, stopping me in my tracks. I snap to attention and look up. The boy cannot be much older than me, though he is tall and lanky. His hair is long and oily, as is his pock-marked face. His smile seems to drip with venom as he leans toward me. "And who might you be?" he asks.

The fact that he is bare-chested does not get past me as I shrink away from him. "Excuse me," I say as nicely as I can, trying to step around him.

But that only brings him closer to me. He wreaks of body odor and sweat and alcohol. "What's your name, pretty?" he coos.

Anger flashes through me and I shake his hand from my shoulder. "None of your concern," I say bravely.

"You're not very polite." He frowns.

"I said 'excuse me'."

His frown morphs into a wolfish grin. "Your name is beginning to become my concern. You've gotten my interest."

"The feeling isn't mutual," I say. I've completely lost sight of the little blonde girl. Panicked, I shove past him. "Now _move_," I say as I start forward again.

But before I can take one more step I am shoved against the cavern wall. Dirt crumbles from the wall and rains down around me as the oily boy presses himself up against me. "I think it's time someone taught you some manners," he growls in my ear and I cringe back into the wall. He shoves his arm up against my sternum and I am pushed up the wall a foot.

I keep my ground though. "Get off of me," I say, shoving at him. My nails find purchase along his skin, but that only makes him press in farther.

"You chose the wrong guy to pick a fight with, darling," he growls.

"Funny," comes a dark voice from behind the boy. "I was going to say the same thing."

The boy doesn't release me, though he does turn to see who said that.

Cassius is staring at the boy, standing a few feet away. From what I can tell, he does not look amused.

I expect the boy to let go of me right then, but he merely smiles, no fear in his eyes or expression. "Is that an order from the Prince?" he says.

Cassius rolls his eyes wearily. "You know the rules here as well as I do, Bart. I'm not royalty down here."

"No," Bart says agreeably. "So buzz off."

But before Cassius can give his reply, I bring my knee up between Bart's legs, hard. He wheezes and releases me and I race to stand beside Cassius.

He holds my face between his hands and looks down at me comically. "What have you done, Blondie?" he asks. "I told you to be good."

"I was on my best behavior," I say, a little surprised at how tenderly he is holding me. "He started it."

He smiles down at me and my heart begins beating erratically. "That's my girl," he says, chucking under my chin. "You should probably get behind me. Wouldn't want you to get punched in the face."

I open my mouth to ask why he would punch me in the face when I am shoved behind Cassius. I turn to see that Bart has swung at him, full force. I choke back a scream, fearing for Cassius-

But he takes it all in stride. He dodges the punch easily and avoids the second as well, as if he's anticipating Bart's every move. I think for a moment that he might be smiling, but it's disappeared within the next second. It doesn't take me long to realize that Bart charges like a bull, while Cassius strikes like a cobra.

Every punch that Bart lands, Cassius takes and returns in kind. I am yearning to run and stop the entire thing. I debate it in my head until I feel a soft tug at the hem of my dress. I look down to see a pair of light eyes staring up at me. "Don't get in between them," the little girl that looks like Alice says solemnly. "You'll just get hurt and make Cassius even more upset."

I stare at her, speechless, for a moment. "Who are you?" I manage to ask.

"My name is Mary," she says in return, cocking her head and studying me. "I see you remember me."

"You look just like-"

"Alice," she finishes for me. "Yes, I get that a lot. Or I used to, anyway. I'm glad you made it to the House."

Before I can ask Mary anymore questions, though, I hear the crowd that has gathered around the two men erupt into cheers. I turn to see that Bart is on the ground with Cassius kneeling over him, one knee pressed against his chest. "Don't play this game with me, Bart," he says, not unkindly. "I was brought up with military training. Yield."

Bart breathes deeply through his nose, clearly annoyed, though I can tell he is more hurt than he is leading on. He directs his glare toward me. "Teach your precious Bride some manners," he spits.

Cassius smiles. "I dont think she takes orders from anyone." He turns and looks at me now. "Will you mind your manners?" he asks me amiably.

"As soon as he does," I say, nodding toward the boy underneath Cassius.

Cassius smiles. "And I'm betting it will be awhile before that happens."

"I yield," Bart says, "for now. Get off of me before you break a rib."

Cassius' smile widens. "Excellent." He stands and walks over toward me. "Shall we be going now?"

"I'm ready to leave, if that's what you're asking," I say, keeping my eyes on Bart.

"He wont bother you now," Cassius says, following the line of my gaze. He offers me his arm and I loop mine through it.

"I dont think I got to meet your friend," I say as we make our way toward a ladder laid into the wall.

"Jules wasn't here," Cassius says, sounding... relieved? Maybe they weren't really friends. "I don't think I got to meet yours either," he says as we reach the ladder.

I turn back to where Mary was standing next to me, but she has disappeared.

**AN: Again, thank you guys so much! I look forward to reading more reviews! I hope you enjoyed! Tell me what you think!C: **


	7. Chapter 7

**AN: hello, all! so I was thinking about what ILoveReadingAndWriting (Mari) had said about Mary being in such an odd place as the Cavern. So funny- I hadnt even noticed what an important role she played in the whole storyline until I read that review, but now Im like "Mary is actually a badass! So is alice!"! So you'll see more of Mary and Alice later on, it'll all make sense, I promise! Anyway, heres the next chappie! Dont hate me for it! Love me, actually. Please. I need love. Not to be creepy.. anyway, just read and love and enjoy! **

I discovered it was a test almost instantly.

It has taken me a few days to piece everything together: Kinsley and Gabrielle seem to jump at every sudden movement, as though they're waiting for someone to lurch for them from the shadows.

Daphne, on the other hand, seems smug, as though she has been through a secret adventure with a secret admirer. I watch thoughtfully when she looks slyly at Cassius through the corner of her eye, or when she is always pulling him off to the side to discuss a private matter with him. The burning feeling in my chest only lasts a few moments when I see her reach up and run her fingers through his hair as she talks with him.

I am walking down one of the many hallways when I spot Cassius coming toward me. I take a deep breath, annoyed at how betrayed I feel by him, and march forward.

"The Blonde Princess," he says with a mock bow when I reach him.

I roll my eyes at this, but give no further retort. "Cassius," I say measuredly.

He smiles and my blood warms. "And how are you on this fine day?"

"Worried," I say, trying my best to show unease.

His brow furrows and for a moment I think he is genuinely concerned. "Worried? About what?"

"What happened the other day in the forest," I say, biting my lip worriedly. "I think I should tell the other girls to watch out, just incase it happens again."

I watch his face closely for any signs of knowing, but he remains expressionless. "I'll tell them myself, if you're so worried," he says.

"But _I _want to tell them," I reply quickly. "Please? I'm just so scared."

He studies me for a long moment. "You need acting lessons," he finally says.

I instantly break from my charade, annoyed. "And _you _need to hide your Tests better. I can't believe—"

But I am pressed against the wall an instant later, Cassius' hand covering my mouth. "How did you find out?" He asks. "Who told you?"

So I was right. I wait for Cassius to lift his hand from my mouth patiently. He truly seems unnerved. "No one told me," I say, confused by how harshly he is acting, "I figured it out myself."

He takes a deep breath as he studies me. I am still sandwiched between the wall and Cassius, but I am more unnerved at my positive reaction to the proximity if anything. I crave it a little too much. His stomach is hard over mine, pressing against me each time he took a breath.

"So I was right?" I ask. "It was a test?"

He shakes his head. "Not the whole thing. You spurred the fight with Bart on all by yourself. That was a bit impromptu." He smiles ruefully and it is then that I notice the bruise blooming along his jaw line. I wince and reach out to touch it slowly. The skin on his face is soft, the stubble growing along his jaw scratches at my fingertips.

Cassius closes his eyes and shakes his head. "What am I going to do with you, Blondie?" he asks ruefully.

I pull my hand back and furrow my brow. "What's that supposed to mean?" I ask.

He opens his eyes and looks at me sadly. "I don't know," he says honestly.

The rest of the day, when I am not thinking of the gold of Cassius' eyes or my family back home, I am thinking of Alice and Mary. What was that little girl doing in such a rough environment? And what did she have to do with Alice? I want to ask Alice myself, but she seems so distant today, more distant than ever. As she meticulously braids my hair, I bite my lip, warring whether or not I should say something to her. "Alice," I finally say.

Her gaze meets mine in the mirror. She is so small she has to stand on a stool to reach the top of my head as I sit on a chair in front of the vanity in my room. "Yes?" she responds warily.

I battle with myself in my head once again, finally deciding to save the question for later. "Do the girls get in trouble if they know about a test?" I ask.

She thinks for a moment, before saying, "Yes. They get disqualified."

My stomach sinks. That explained why Cassius was so furious that I had figured it out. But then that would mean that he cares whether or not I fail... I furrow my brow.

"Cassius tries to pretend that he has no feelings for anything or anyone, but you get to him. I can tell," she says, as if reading my mind. I stare at her, but she doesn't return my gaze. Instead, she focuses on my hair and sighs. "You are so adamant about going home, back to your family, but have you thought about what would happen to Neverland if you do?" she asks.

For once, I am speechless.

Once I am dressed in a peach frock and my hair has been styled into a messy braid, I wander the House until I find the Girl's Lounge. Kinsley and Gabrielle are in there, talking quietly. I walk in and sit down across from them, folding my legs underneath me on the large sofa. Kinsley's hair is naturally curly tonight and she is in a tight blue dress that brings out the shine in her eyes. Gabrielle's hair is long and straight down her back and she has been put into a white dress that makes her pale skin even more pale. She looks like a moon goddess.

"Hi," I say as they both turn and stare at me.

They both mumble their hellos, studiously ignoring me.

I watch them for a while before I finally lean forward and say, "So what have I done to get you to ignore me?"

Their attention is back on me now, and they seem honestly surprised at my question.

"You've done nothing," Kinsley says. Her voice is high and bright, I notice now. A pretty voice.

"Right," Gabrielle says, rolling her eyes. Her voice on the other hand, tells me that she's a smoker.

I raise my eyebrows at Gabrielle, shocked. "What's my offense?" I ask.

Gabrielle huffs a sigh and stretches her slender arms. "Look, it's obvious that Cassius has taken an interest in you. So just do us a favor and leave us alone to be cast out of the House in peace."

The silence stretches as I mull this over. "But," I say, "he really hasn't. Honestly, guys, he's just as crazy about you, or Kinsley, or-"

And at that moment, the queen herself walks in. Her orange hair is pinned on top of her head and she wears a purple gown that hugs her curves in all the right places. She is smiling brightly and her eyes have almost taken on a dreamy state. "Oh," she sighs, plopping herself down onto the chair next to mine, "isn't he just lovely?"

"Cassius?" I ask, knowing that Gabrielle and Kinsley wont speak up to Daphne like I.

She smiles again and nods. "He's so gentle with me."

I furrow my brow. Was she talking about the same Cassius that throws me into walls and pulls me after him into near-death experiences?

"And _such _a good kisser," she adds, her smile widening.

My heart drops into my stomach and I try to keep a casual expression on my face. Inside I am screaming.

"Well, he is. You guys have to at least give him that." She looks at each of us in turn.

"I wouldn't know," I finally say, trying to keep the sour taste out of my mouth. "Not all of us throw ourselves on every available guy."

She ignores me and looks at the two girls sitting on the couch across from us. "Well?" she pries.

I am about to snap and say maybe they have a common sense of decency along with myself, but before I can open my mouth they both grudgingly agree with Daphne. I feel... distant. I feel like I am in the same drugged state that I woke to this world in. I stand, not wanting to be in this room any longer. "Well," I say, leveling my gaze on Gabrielle, "now we know that I'm not as favored as you thought." With that, I leave the room.

**AN: Dont kill me with fire for making a hurtful chapter... it's always darkest before dawn or whatever they say! JUST REMEMBER THAT I LOVE YOU AND YOU LOVE ME! Sorry, I'm hyped up on ****caffeine. COFFEE! okay, now that you've figured out I'm ADD.. is it egotistical to ask you for reviews? Because I do love them. I want lots and lots and lots of reviews- dont hate me for it, I just like any kind of feedback I can get from you guys. Anywho, thank you for reading! I'll post the next chapter SOON! (SPOILER ALERT! The next chapter has THE NEXT TEST IN IT!) *gasp!* EGAD. Okay, seriously I need to get off. REVIEW. LOVE. BYE. **


	8. Chapter 8

**AN: Hi! Enjoy! Tell me what you think of this new test!C: **

At dinner I am utterly silent. The food in front of me doesn't rouse any appetite in me and I stab at it angrily with my fork to keep up the pretense of eating.

Daphne, obviously enjoying the fact that I'm getting no love from Cassius when she is, flirts with Cassius, dropping casual hints and innuendos here and there. If I didn't have an appetite before dinner, I certainly wasn't going to touch my food now. I stare in horror at the two of them as Daphne trails her hand from his shoulder down south until it disappears under the table.

I scoot my chair back. "I'm not going to watch you two get freaky while I'm eating. It's bad for the digestion."

Cassius at least has the good sense to look remorseful. But before he can speak I nail him with a look, one with enough venom to poison a rhino, and storm from the room. I seem to have a habit of storming from the Dining Room, but I wasn't about to ponder how that must make me look to the other girl's at the table. For all they were concerned, they were just counting down till one of us failed a Test.

I wandered the halls of the House, debating with myself whether or not I should step out of bounds once more, when I ran- quite literally- into someone.

I looked up to see a tall figure looming over me. He was dressed in a beige tailored suit that smelled like sandalwood. I looked up to see a hard-edged face staring down at me. "Hello," he says, his bass voice rumbling.

It is the first time I have seen him. Peter. Cassius' father.

He smiles warmly, but it does nothing but give me the chills. He has sandy hair, streaked with gray and a lined face. His eyes, like Cassius', are golden. But where Cassius' look would warm my bones, his father's stare makes me feel as though I've just had ice water dumped down my back. "Who have we here?" he wonders.

"I'm Sophia," I supply weakly.

"Ah, the one that barely made it," he smiles as though he is giving me a compliment. "And so pretty. I'm glad Cassius fought to keep you here. Now I can see why." He chuckles and my stomach shrinks.

"Why are you not at dinner?" he asks, as if just now realizing he shouldn't have run into me at this time.

"I'm not hungry," I say, trying to figure out how to get past him and to my room. "I was just going to go to bed."

"Nonsense," Peter says, waving me off. "Come, follow me. I'd like to speak with you."

I bit my lip, wanting to do nothing but run away screaming, but nod, seeing no other choice.

I follow Peter silently through the hallways, studying him as he walks. His steps are sure and confident, like his son's. He is broad and muscular, tall and overbearing. He is definitely an intimidation factor, and one of the scariest people I have seen since arriving in Neverland. We arrive at the library; a room I've only barely been in since arriving. He leads me to a bookshelf in the back and does something I can't see. The shelf jumps to the side and I gasp.

Peter looks over his shoulder at me and smiles, smug that he has surprised me. He steps through the entrance and holds his hand out for me to take. His skin feels like paper and I shudder at the contact. He doesn't seem to notice.

Inside is a small room with a desk with two chairs facing it. The room itself has a sort of warm quality to it, from the maroon walls to the lush carpet, to the gold-gild framed photos of he and his family. I stop to admire a large painted portrait of Cassius. He looks a little younger than he does now, his features more boyish. I smile before I can help myself. Despite his serious expression, the painter has captured that light in his eye, that mischievous look that promises trouble.

"You're fond of him," Peter says. It isn't a question. I whirl and look at him, now sitting in the high-backed chair behind the desk staring at me, and blush.

He smiles. "Many people are. He will be a great leader when I have passed."

"I don't disagree," I say confidently. It has been painfully clear how well-suited he is to lead a place like Neverland.

Peter cocks his head and studies me. "You are different than the other girls," he observes.

"So I've noticed," I say, walking to one of the chairs facing him and dropping into one. I am so tired; I want nothing but to sleep off this feeling of hurt and betrayal inside of me that Cassius and the other girls have sparked.

"You must be hungry," he says, pulling out a plate of cookies from behind him and pushing them across the great wooden desk and toward me. "Here, they're fresh baked."

I take one, not wanting to be rude, and nibble it. It is delicious, but has an odd aftertaste that I cant quite pin. "Thank you," I say in between bites.

He smiles as if I have just given the punch line of joke and continues to study me. "My Vivian was different, like you. She stood out among the others. I knew almost right away that she would be my Wife."

I furrow my brow. "Did you?" I ask. "Know that soon? What about the other girls?"

"They failed soon enough. All I needed to do was wait it out, and all who remained was my Vivian." He says it so casually that I have to remind myself that the women who failed were cast out to the forest to die or become lost boys. "I see much of myself in Cassius, just like I see much of you in my Wife. Cassius is a smart, brave boy. He knows what he wants, and how to get what he wants." He speaks of his son with more affection than I would have thought.

"I dont think he likes me very much," I sheepishly admit. I have finished the first cookie, and Peter presses another into my hand.

"And why is that?" he wonders as I bite into the second cookie.

"He doesn't treat me the same," I say after a few bites. "They are flowers. I am a weed."

"Meaning you are more durable," he says. "The other girls are fragile, my dear. I dont think, though, that you are nearly that breakable. I think Cassius knows that as well."

I furrow my brow. I'm feeling a bit hazy, the sleepy feeling amplifying until I can hardly think straight. "I don't feel well," I say.

I see Peter look at me with a concerned face. "What's wrong?" he asks, studying me.

"I'm so tired," I say.

He looks relieved. "You told me you were going to go to sleep. There's some sleepy tisane in these cookies to help one go to sleep." He stands and offers me a hand. "I will walk you back to your room," he says.

Once we have arrived back to my room, I am almost dead on my feet. Whatever is in those cookies work like magic. I thank Peter for his hospitality and cookies and open my door.

"Sweet dreams, my dear," he says quietly before closing the door between us.

The man has a face, but I can not make out the details. He might have blue eyes, maybe brown, maybe red. He might not have eyes. His pallor changes from black to silver to white. I realize that I am bound to a metal lab table, wearing nothing but a hospital gown and I am truly afraid. The fluorescent lights in the white tiled ceiling are dimmed and my head is screaming in both terror and pain.

"Sophia," he states in a voice smooth as honey, harsh as nails. "We only want his name. Who is the next Peter? What is his real name?" The accent is thick, warped somehow.

_Cassius_, immediately comes to my mind, but I push it back. I squirm and try to break free of my restraints, all to no avail.

"Let me assure you that I will cut you limb from limb if you keep your silence," the man says dangerously when I am silent.

It is apparent that this man is not good. He wants to hurt me. He wants to hurt Cassius. "I don't know," I say. It means to come out as a whisper, maybe a confident retort, but it comes out as more of a moan.

"You're lying," the man says and I see the gleam of something sharp. Before I can take in another breath pain hits me, sharp, calculated. I feel the warmth of blood leaving my skin, running onto the table and soaking my hospital gown.

My eyes fly open and I scream. I look down at my arm and see that he has slit my arm, from the line of my wrist vertical to the crease of my elbow. Blood flows freely from it, pulsing a deep almost purple color. I open my mouth to scream again, but it is cut off by another slash to my other arm. I gasp and try to jerk my arm away.

"Tell me," the man says.

"Stop!" I scream. I am now lying in a pool of blood, I can hear it dripping onto the tiled floor in a slow trickle.

Another cut to my gut. Another scream.

The man is close to my ear by now. I am terrified. Why am I not dead? Why am I still awake? "Tell me, Sophia," he says quietly, "and the pain will go away."

I want so badly for this pain to stop. Distantly I think that it wont be much longer before I die; I've lost too much blood to ever make it out of this situation okay. But he's promising me relief of the pain and I almost whimper of the thought of having this hurt lifted from me.

"No," I whisper.

The man straightens, looking at the blood-stained knife in his hand. "Very well," is all he says. He twists his grip on the knife and in one smooth move slits my throat.

I wake screaming.

Even as I hear the door open and someone rush in, I continue to scream. I can't stop. I was dead, I am dead, I am-  
I hug my arms to my chest and curl into a ball. The screaming has quieted but it hasn't stopped. I know I am in someone's arms, and even more distantly I know I'm alive, but I can't stop screaming. My screams soon turn into sobs as the arms around me begin to rock me back and forth.

"Come on, Blondie," an all-too-familiar voice says quietly in my ear. "Calm down. You're awake now. It's over."

I do no such thing.

He sighs. "Sophia," he says almost lovingly, "it wasn't real. It was a test."

That calms me some, or confuses me enough to where I actually look at him through bleary eyes. "A test?" I echo.

He nods, looking relieved and, oddly, grateful. "To challenge your loyalty. If you pass, you wake up when you're killed so that you know it wasn't real. If you don't, you go into a deep, regular sleep. They probably won't remember it in the morning."

"They?" I am groggy and shaken from how real it felt when he cut me open. How could they possibly put that impression on someone while sleeping? I cant stop shaking as Cassius rubs my back soothingly.

Cassius nods, face peculiarly blank. "You're the only one that has woken up so far," he says.

I don't know what to say. I am still so upset by what I had just gone through I feel as though my voice has been taken from me. "It felt so real," I say, hugging my arms once more.

The smile that forms on Cassius' lips is not a happy one. "I'm sorry," he says, simply. "It's a nasty test, I agree. But you can't deny that it helps."

"Helps what?" I say, already denying that it helps anything, anyone.

He catches my gaze and holds it. He is good at keeping his emotions in check, but I've been able to read it in his eyes. They are smoldering me right now, like two flames in a dark room.

"It helps," he says slowly, "tell me who I can trust as my wife."

Another scream pierces the air so suddenly that I jump and clutch Cassius' arm.

He is already on his feet though. He gives me a smile, this one more like the one that he usually wears: a devil-could-care grin that wipes his face clean of any emotion.

"Congratulations, Sophia," he says, "you've done the one thing we agreed you shouldn't do: passed yet another test to stay here with me forever." With that he leaves the room.

The next awake is Daphne, who is nearly insatiable. I follow Cassius down the hall almost instinctually to see who the next to wake up is; also I don't think I am able to bear being alone right now.

She is screaming and sobbing uncontrollably, though her hair looks perfect and her nightgown, a short jade green silk slip, makes her look more like she is going to a photo shoot rather than to bed. I only feel a slight pang of jealousy when I look down at my sleepwear: an overly large light pink T shirt with my hair in a loose, now incredibly mussed, braid.

I watch as Cassius walks dutifully across the bedroom and folds her into his arms. I feel another pang, one that has nothing to do with jealousy (I think). It is a pang of anger and guilt. Anger at myself for being so weak, guilt for letting me be weak and letting Cassius hold me like a small child. Of course he is going to console all of his wives; that's part of his job description as king and husband.

I hug my elbows to ward off the chill that has seeped into my bones and turn away from Cassius and Daphne's embrace. I turn and walk back into the hallway, feeling oddly dejected. I cant get the image of Cassius' face out of my mind as he said "Congratulations, Sophia", as though he was both oddly relieved and immeasurably sad at the same time.

He is right though, of course. I shouldn't have passed. I should have been cast out a long time ago, to find my way back home. But for some reason, I am still here. I am passing, regardless of what anyone does or says.

_They are flowers. I am a weed. _A weed that wasn't going to go down without a fight. I furrow my brow as I enter my room, not sure what exactly that could mean. I want to go home... dont I?

A third set of screams rips through the air and I massage my temples gently. It's going to be a long night.

**AN: Hello, my pets! Thanks for reading! Hope you enjoyed! **


	9. Chapter 9

**AN: ****this is gonna be pretty long guys, so if you dont want to read my ramblings, you can scroll! I'm just answering a question!(: kittyhawk09 asked how I came up with the story.. and it's actually not that great of a tale, but i'll tell you anyway! (cause i have no life, of course). no, but really, I just dont think my mind works like everyone elses. When I'm in class, I'll think something like "what if the door was just kicked in and one of the kids in my class was a super hero and I got swept up in the middle of a fight sequence?" or something ridiculous like that (it hasnt happened yet, sadly). Another thing that influences what I write is MUSIC! It may be weird, but every single song I listen to, I make a plot, and characters, and situations for the characters all while listening to a song- it might not even be related to the song in the least! (for example, my Infernal Devices fanfic was entirely inspired by Pierce The Veil's "A Flair For The Dramatic" album while I was on vacation in Washington DC- weird, I know, just go with it!) You can usually tell what my fanfic's inspirational music was by the title of my stories! (ex. my Infernal Devices story is called "chemical kids, mechanical brides", and this is called "mad world", i.e. Mad World by Gary Jules). If you've heard the song, you'll know it has nothing to do, really, with my story at all! But while I was listening to the song, I was sitting on the floor of my room writing my other Peter Pan fanfic, "Away We Go", and my thoughts with the story just took on a completely different turn. Instead I started picturing the world of Neverland as a sunless place gripped with war and dictated by a good generation gone bad. Scenes of a dark prince and a small town girl thrown together in a world that they both desperately want to leave for different reasons sprang into my head. Needless to say, the hopelessness of the situation kind of freaked me out.. I always have happy endings to my stories, and even now, this far into the story (and also a sequel in the making!) I really have no idea how everything will end, who will live, who will die, who will ultimately be happy- maybe no one will be! As scary a thought as it was, I was really loving where my mind was going with it. Once I posted the chapter for Away We Go, I immediately began hashing this story out, and was pretty impressed by how loved it was! I honestly thought you all were going to hate how dark it is and think me a freak. All of this love is really surprising and a bit touching (why do I have all of this FEELING?! jk!) so to answer your question in the longest Author's Note I have EVER written, there you go! I hope this helps you guys try to get inside of my head more! What you think of my little brain (I might name him Tommy, not sure yet) is up to you entirely! Anyway, here's the next chapter! I hope you enjoy it!(: **

Kinsley was the one to leave.

I woke the next morning from a dreamless sleep and wandered to the dining room where there were plates laid out for our breakfast. I noticed her plate missing from the table. Daphne and Gabrielle said nothing as I sat and looked at my plate of eggs and waffles. Cassius didn't join us for the meal.

I sit now in my room, staring at my reflection dully in the mirror as Alice fusses around me. I am wearing jeans today and a sweater. I asked Alice repeatedly to just leave my hair be, but she insists. She twirls it expertly into a braided mess on top of my head, a concentrated look about her face. I watch her for a few more moments before saying, "How did you come to Neverland?"

She looks surprised, but keeps her focus on my hair. "I was taken here a very long time ago."

"By Peter?" I ask.

She smiles slightly. "Not the one you know."

I furrow my brow and think that over. "So you're old," I guess.

She laughs and works her deft little fingers through my hair. "I don't look it, do I?"

She doesn't. If I have to guess, I would put her at nine, maybe ten. "Aren't you lonely?"

Now her fingers pause. She meets my gaze in the mirror, an odd look on her face, as if she has only just considered that fact. "I didn't used to be," she says so quietly that I barely hear it.

"What changed? Did your friends leave?"

She shook her head and began working on my hair again, snapping back into focus. "I suppose you could say that, yes."

"Why can't you give me a straight-up answer?" I ask, staring at her in the mirror until she meets my gaze once more.

She is silent. At last she heaves a great sigh and says. "No, she hasn't left."

"Who hasn't left?"

"Mary," she says, giving me a knowing look. "My sister."

I am running. Through this house made of glittering gold and splendor that so beautifully hides the horror beneath the walls. I want out, I want out, I want-

I round the corner and collide into someone, falling backwards and hitting the ground painfully. I stare up at Cassius, who looks bowled over to see me in such a hurry. "Going somewhere?" he asks, holding out a hand to help me up.

I ignore it and scramble to my feet, using the upward momentum to slam him into the wall behind him. He looks so surprised to be the one slammed into a wall instead of the one slamming people into walls that any other time I would have loved to know that it is me that sprang this much emotion from him.

"She has a sister," I say viciously.

He is trying hard to wipe the emotion from his face- and failing. "Who?"

"Alice!" I almost cry. "She has a twin sister, who is out there alone in Neverland"

Now his face is as blank as a clean canvas. "And?" he prompts.

"It isn't fair!" I shout.

"Take a look around, Soph!" he yells and I take a startled step backward. "What do you see in this world that's _fair_?!"

I stare at him a moment in utter disbelief. He is right; nothing in this world is even close to fair.

I shove him and he falls back against the wall before I turn and walk away.

I meander through the trees at a brisk pace, wanting to calm down my racing heart. Maybe if I can find the underground pub that Cassius had taken me to, I will find Mary again. I try to retrace the steps that I had taken when we were being chased, thinking back to every detail during the run: my lungs filling with fiery air, Cassius' hand in mine, the sound of his voice as he said my name...

I expel a breath and kick a stone out of my way. It's hopeless. I remember next to nothing of the chase.

And that's when I hear the screams. I turn and search the area, but see no one. The silent is now deathly quiet and the hairs on my arms rise with the threat of danger. Someone is in trouble in these woods. Someone needs my help.

The screaming starts up again, this time much louder, and I am sprinting toward the source of the noise.

I finally come into a clearing in the woods and see the small blonde girl that helped me when I first woke up. It's her.

Mary.

She is curled into a protective ball and there are men in armored looking gray suits holding baton looking weapons in their hands. They laugh as she trembles and raise their weapons for another blow.

Without thinking, I race through the clearing and throw my arms around the girl's small body. She feels like a bundle of bones and hair curled against my chest. They immediately throw me off of her, but I fight my way out of their grip and shield her body once more. "Stop!" I cry.

Their laughing only increases. "And what do we have here?" one of them says. His helmet prevents me from seeing his face, but his voice sounds hoarse and deep. "Another blonde? Perfect."

"Batting practice was getting boring with just one blonde," the second agrees. His voice is much higher pitched.

"I was thinking of beating her in a completely different way," the first one says, and my grip on Mary tightens. I fear the small girl is already rendered unconscious and won't be able to run away when I tell her to.

I take a deep breath and look at the soldiers. "How dare you! She's just a girl; don't hurt her."

"If you want us to use you instead, Blondie, we sure will," the first man says with a hard laugh. His hand grabs my wrist and twists with such strength that I have to bite my tongue to hold in a scream. I can feel the small bones under my skin screaming in agony and fight against him as he pulls me toward him.

"I wouldn't."

We all whirl to see Cassius standing there. His eyes only meet mine briefly before returning to the armed men.

The man holding my wrist smiles, I see as I look up under his helmet. He has dark stubble running along his jaw. "Cassius. Come to join the fun? We've just come across two blondes. This one is putting up a fight-" he jerks my arm and I cry out- "but I'll subdue her."

Cassius' mouth is a hard line. He is not happy. "Actually," he says, voice low and deadly, "I've come to get my wife, if you don't mind." His eyes zero in on the grip he has on me.

His hand immediately falls from me, as if I'd burned him, and he takes a step from me as I fall to the ground. "I had no idea she was a Bride, Cassius."

Cassius is crouching beside me in an instant. "Did you bother to look at her?" he asks. He obviously means the fact that I am much cleaner than the limp girl beside me, my clothes much nicer.

He grabs my arm so swiftly that I wince before his skin touches mine, but he is so gentle handling my injury that I barely feel his hand at all. He inspects the bruises that are starting to bloom like a bracelet on my skin and looks into my eyes. His golden-fire irises are surprisingly gentle, with a protective edge. "Only you," he breathes, "would turn me against my own men."

He regards the two men, now standing awkwardly a few feet away from us. "Don't ever," he says in a tone so seriously deadly that goosebumps roll up my arms, "lay a hand on one of my Brides again, or I will have you hanged from the nearest tree. Understand?"

The two back away quickly. "Yes, sir," they mumble repeatedly until they are out of hearing range.

Cassius goes back to inspecting my wrist as I stare at him. "How did you know-" I begin.

"I didnt," he answers before I finish. He looks up at me with raised eyebrows. "But you're lucky I found you."

I tug my hand gently from his grip, not breaking eye contact. "Thank you," I say, before turning and hurrying over to where Mary lay still on the ground.

I brush her tangled blonde hair from her face and shake my head. "She doesn't deserve this."

"It's the law," Cassius says quietly, coming to kneel on the ground next to me.

I look at him. "What is? Little girls starving half to death?"

He gives me such a measured look that I work my brain, trying to understand the hidden meaning his look is telling me, but come up with nothing. "No siblings. Especially twins. She should have died a very long time ago."

I look down at her, heartbroken. She couldn't help who she was born as. "That's why Alice was allowed to stay?"

Cassius says nothing, merely looks down at Mary with a casual look on his face. "Let's take her home," he says.

I look at him sharply, thinking that he means to take her home with us, but he is already on his feet and headed in the opposite direction from the House. I quickly scoop the small girl into my arms and hurry after Cassius' retreating form.

We walk through the trees in silence, but I don't mind. My mind is reeling with thoughts. _No siblings. Especially twins_. I wonder why? Why would that even become an issue in this world?

I stumble, the weight of the unconscious girl I am holding is causing my arms to burn with the effort of staying upright. "Where are we going?" I ask.

Cassius silently takes Mary from my arms without breaking stride. "I've already told you; we're taking her home."

"How do you know where she lives?" I challenge.

"It's where all the lost boys live. It's the only place they'll survive."

"Which is where?"

"It's connected to the pub we were at the other day. I know the person that takes care of all of them." His face is carefully controlled of any emotion.

"That's nice of him," I say. "Are you two close?"

His mouth twitches. "You could say that," is all he says.

"Is he the same person you were looking for at the pub?" I ask.

"Jules," is all he gives as an answer.

I open my mouth to say more, but Mary groans.

Cassius stops walking and watches her as she comes-to in his arms. When she does, she stares first at me with wide eyes and then at Cassius, who is holding her like a small child. "Good morning," he says pleasantly.

She screams and throws herself out of his arms, scooting away from the both of us.

"Goodness, you're like a howler monkey." Cassius looks like he's either very amused or disgusted.

"We wont hurt you, Mary," I say calmly. "We just want to take you home."

"What happened to those men?" Mary asks, looking from me to Cassius and back.

"Gone," Cassius says, his look now only holds amusement.

She looks relieved. "Good," she breathes. She looks at Cassius wryly. "You'll probably have to explain everything to Jules, you know."

He doesn't look pleased. "I'm aware, thank you, Mary."

She smiles. "This should be fun, then."

I furrow my brow, looking between them. "Wait," I say. "You two know each other?"

Mary looks me up and down before turning back to Cassius. "You don't tell her much, do you?"

Cassius doesn't look ashamed in the least. "I see no need to."

"We'll have to catch her up on a lot when she wins, then."

He looks taken aback by that. My eyes widen as I see his cheeks redden. "It's a good thing you like to hear the sound of your own voice," he says with a calm smile.

"Catch me up on what?" I ask. "What is going on?"

Mary walks up and takes my hand. "Come on," she says, "let's walk."

To my utter surprise, Cassius slides his hand into my other hand, linking his fingers with mine. "Yes," he says, "let's."

**AN: Thanks for reading guys! This is super long, so I apologize!/: But before you leave, I have one little request! Can you guys let me know (in a PM or in a review) if you'd rather have one very long continuous story or have this ****story with a cliffy and a sequel? I'm debating which I should do and would like to know what my readers want! You guys are the ones that matter, after all! Thank you for the love! Till next time!(: **


	10. Chapter 10

**AN: Hi guys! I'm actually really excited for you to read this chappie! Claire asked when Cassius and Sophia are going to kiss, and I cant wait till that happens too!(; I just want to make sure their relationship blooms a bit first. The character of Cassius is a complex one, and I'm not sure I'm doing a very good job portraying just how dynamic and tormented and GREAT he is. He is based off of my boyfriend of four years (not to be biased or anything, haha) and I just wish you guys could see the character that IS CASSIUS. I really, really hope you learn to love Cas as much as I do!(: Anyway, here's the next chappie! kittyhawk09 also asked where my rendition of Hook comes in, and well, HERE YOU GO!(:**

The forest could be peaceful at times like this. Mary would look between Cassius and I with a funny look on her face, as if she knows something that we don't. I give her a questioning glance as Cassius casts his gaze upwards, staring through the branches up at the steely sky. I close my eyes a cool breeze moves lazily past my face. Somewhere in the back of my mind I realize that there are never any animals around; never any birds singing. The only sound that breaks the silence is our footsteps as we travel through the trees.

"Those men," I say, finally, "why were they hurting you?"

Mary takes a deep breath, contemplating. "Because-"

"My father," Cassius says, and there is such a strong undercurrent to his words that I turn and look at him. He meets my gaze, his golden eyes serene. "He doesn't keep his aversion to the Lost Boys very secret."

"That's so sad," I say quietly. "It's not like it's their fault."

Cassius sighs in agreement, his hand warm in mine. "Try telling him that."

"I don't see what he has against people being happy," I say, my brow furrowing as I picture the cold man that had drugged me with cookies. "This world would be such a beautiful place. It doesn't have to be like this."

We arrive at a large oak tree, weathered but large and beautiful still. Mary kicked at a root sticking out of the ground and the oak split down the middle, making an opening large enough for a person to walk through.

Once opened, a small boy steps out, stretching his arms and yawning. He has dark brown hair and dirt streaked skin. He smiles when he sees the three of us. "Hiya!" he says amiably.

"Henry," Cassius says with a small smile. "Is Jules around?"

Henry is looking at me now in confusion, obviously realizing that he has never met me before. "No," he says, "he's gone to the House."

Cassius stiffens beside me. "Why?" he asks.

Henry shrugs, taking his gaze away from me and looking to Cassius. "He didn't say."

Mary shrugs as well and takes a step through the tree. "Maybe your dad wants to make sure he's on his best behavior."

"Jules," Cassius says in a hard tone, "is never on his best behavior."

"Neither are you," Mary says, looking once between Cassius and I before she and Henry both disappear back into the tree.

I stand staring at Cassius as he stares at the now closed-up tree. There is an odd look on his face, one I had only seen once before- when he looked out over Neverland with me and told me to imagine it as it could be; not as it was. Sometimes I feel like he looks at me that way, but can never understand why.

He turns to me now and drops me a half apologetic smile. "She can be a bit cryptic sometimes," he says.

"I can tell," is all I say in reply.

He sighs and runs a hand through his unruly black hair. "We should probably head back," he says, "before those two kill each other."

"Why doesn't Peter like Jules?" I ask, hurrying to catch up to Cassius, who has already started walking back.

Cassius thinks that over for a moment. "It isn't hate, I don't think," he finally says. "I think it's fear."

"He's afraid of him?"

"Always has been." Cassius looks up, a sign clearly telling me to take a hint and drop the conversation.

But I'm not going to let it drop. There's a gleam in Cassius' eye at the mention of Jules, or of Peter for that fact. "Are you afraid of him?" I ask quietly.

Cassius gives one, hard, almost surprised laugh and looks at me. "Of Julius? No."

"Of your father," I clarify.

He rears back as if I've slapped him. "Quit it, Soph."

"Quit what?"

"Prying. It's going to get you into trouble." He sighs after a moment of silence though, and shakes his head, looking up to the sky once more. "I don't know," he finally says. "I didn't used to be afraid of anyone."

"But now you are?" I ask, trying to keep up with his long legged stride swinging moods.

He gives another laugh, though this one seems much more sad. Or nervous. "I guess you could say that."

I stop walking. He turns and looks at me questioningly, saying nothing. His golden eyes are wide and one of his thick eyebrows is slightly raised. He really is beautiful. In this world of dust and shadows, he shines brighter than the limp sun in this graying sky. I catch myself staring at his full mouth and look down. "I don't know what you're so afraid of."

I feel a warm touch under my jaw as Cassius lifts my face till my gaze meets his. His brow is furrowed now, that sarcastic glint shines in his bright eyes. "Than you are dumber than I thought."

I pull my face from his grasp. "I'm not dumb," I retort.

"No," Cassius agrees, "you're not. You're actually unlike anything I expected when I first found you at the base of that river."

"What's that supposed to mean?" I ask quietly. The look he is giving me makes my heart stutter and skip.

He smiles slightly, though it is more sad than anything. He takes a step closer, his face merely inches from mine. He says, "You," simply, and my heart stops completely. "You," he says again, "were the one that always left me a step behind. The one that seemed to always know how I felt-" he shook his head then, his nose brushing mine- "no, that's not right, is it? It's like whatever I wasn't thinking, you were. Like the half that I was missing."

I know my eyes are very wide, but I can't control my face right now. I feel warm, I feel Cassius' skin against mine. I hear Alice asking me if I had ever thought about what I was leaving behind when I wish to go home and think, _Now I know. I'm leaving behind a broken world, with broken people and a broken Prince with eyes that shine like the sun and a heart bigger than any I have known. _

"Say something," Cassius says quietly.

I dont know what I want.

"I dont either," Cassius says.

I didn't know I said those words out loud. I sucked in a sharp breath when his lips met mine. "Cas."

I feel him smile. "Was that a nickname?" His fingers brush my neck and I shiver. His hand tightens in my hair and pulls me closer. "You tell me your leaving," he says, his voice raw, "and that scares me. I don't know why. But it does."

I make a noise in the back of my throat and fist my hand in his shirt. I want to kiss him. Now.

Our lips brush and a gun fires. I whirl toward the noise and Cassius' arm snakes around me, pulling me behind him.

I spot a man standing in the distance. Cassius tenses at the sight of him and I have to crane my head to get a good look at the stranger. He is large, built like a boulder, and dark, but that is about all I can tell about him. "Who is that?" I ask.

"Maxim," he says calmly, though I can tell he is anything but. "Captain of the Pirates."

"What does he want?"

Without taking his eyes off of the man Cassius takes a slow step back, guiding me with him, keeping me from the Captain's sight. "I don't know," he answers, "but I don't want to hang around long enough to find out."

A sharp object pricks my back and I wince, immediately tensing at the touch of the knife.

"What have we here?" a voice rasps in my ear as I'm tugged out of Cassius' grip.

He whirls just as the man presses the blade to my throat. "And you," he breathes into my ear, laughing when he sees the stunned expression on Cassius' face, "must be the Prince's favorite. My lucky day."

**AN: I hope you enjoyed! Review please! Tell me what you think so far! **


	11. Chapter 11

**AN: well... hi. Long time, no see. I'm looking to change that. **

I stumble as I am pulled farther away from Cassius. His eyes dart from me to the man holding me.

"Caught without a weapon, I see," the man with the knife says to Cassius. "Looks like this will be easier than I thought."

"You're working with Maxim?" Cassius guesses casually. "Then I can confidently tell you that this won't be easy for you regardless."

The man laughs, a raspy, hollowed out sound that almost seems pained. "Peter," he growls, "took everything from me."

The next instant I am slammed into the ground. My head hits the compact dirt and my vision blacks for a moment. I cry out once before I am slammed down again. The man's hand is at my throat the next instant. I look through blurred vision to see that he is old. He is thin and wiry and I am momentarily surprised that he has enough strength to choke the life out of me.

Which is exactly what he is doing.

"We can talk about this," Cassius says, his voice tinged with desperation, "just let her go."

"Cassius," I try to say, but I cant speak. I know I am losing consciousness, I am dying.

"And now," the man says, raising his knife, "I am going to take everything from you."

Just before my vision goes completely black, I see an arrow pierce through the man's hand.

I am lying on the ground while hot air blows around me. Leaves crunch under the fall of footsteps and I hear someone say my name, but I keep my eyes closed.

"Sophia."

I'd know that voice anywhere. I sigh at the sound of my name coming from his lips and open my eyes.

Cassius is staring down at me, that light in his eye. "What happens when two people who aren't supposed to be together fall in love?" he asks, leaning toward me.

"I dont know," I whisper.

His lips meet mine and I taste them hungrily. He smells like smoke, but tastes like honey. I moan as his arm circles my waist and pulls me into him.

His pulls his lips from mine and looks at me, a sleepy smile on his face.

"The world ends," he answers.

It is then that I see the ash falling from the sky like snow. I look past Cassius to see that every tree in the forest is on fire, the leaves burning, screaming, crashing to the ground dead.

I wake with a gasp and sit up hastily, looking around me. The room I am in is dimly lit, only a few candles sit on a wooden table beside me. I am lying on a bed made of leaves and netting and the room smells like damp earth. I bring my fingers to my head and try to shake that dream out of my head. I am still dizzy and groggy, but I am conscious enough to tell that I am not alone in the room. I search the shadows until I see a figure sitting in a chair.

"Cassius?" I ask.

He gets up and stretches his arms. He is dressed differently than I remember, his hair looks longer. I squeeze my eyes shut to stop the world from spinning and say "Where am I?"

I open my eyes to see Cassius walking out of the room. I furrow my brow as I watch the dark hole that he had just exited through. Why hadn't he said anything?

A few minutes later, I hear footsteps and sigh in relief that he had come back to get me.

But suck that breath back in when I see Alice walk through the door.

"Cassius told me to come and get you," she explains when she sees my confused expression.

"Why didn't he just get me himself?" I ask, rubbing the tender spot on my head where I hit the ground.

"You were attacked by one of Maxim's men," Alice explains, helping me to my feet and leading me through the door. "That's not a good thing."

"You're telling me," I say ruefully.

I look around me as Alice leads me through hallways. They're obviously underground tunnels, like the one that Cassius and I had walked through before coming to the underground bar. I swipe at a tree root and sigh. "So I'm guessing Cassius went to take care of business?" I ask.

Alice nods. "He had to go warn his father, make sure the other two brides were safe, then send troops out to search for him."

"So where are we now?"

"This is the Oak," Alice replies. "It's where the lost boys live. It's connected to the Tavern."

"Why am I here?"

"Cassius had to make sure you could recover some place safe. He didn't want to risk carrying you back through the House incase there was another attack."

"And the man that attacked me?" I ask, questions almost pouring out of my mouth. "What happened to him?"

Alice sighed. "Taken back to the House for questioning."

"So why did Cassius send you?" I finally ask.

Alice smiles. "You don't think I can fend off a Pirate?" she jokes. Her smile fades, though, and she looks at me with large hazel eyes. "Cassius isnt bad," she says. "He knows I want to see my sister. That's why he sent me."

_No, Cassius isn't bad_, I want to say, but bite it back. _I just wish I realized that sooner. _

Once back at the House, I go straight to my room and step into the shower. The hot water feels so great against my skin that I almost collapse with relief.

I am shaken awake by Alice. I cant remember how I ended up in my bed, and I am groggy as I look around my room.

"There's a formal dinner tonight," Alice says as she leads me once more to my vanity.

"What does that mean?" I ask.

"You're closer than ever to becoming Cassius' bride," she says, and I cant help but notice how my stomach flutters when she says this, "so now you get to meet Cassius' parents and have a formal dinner with them."

I stare at my reflection in the mirror, watching my eyes grow larger. Another dreaded meal.

**AN: okay, so this was a pretty bad chapter.. I apologize. Please review anyway and tell me what you guys think so far! Till next time!(: **


	12. Chapter 12

**hello, my pretties! Guess who's back!?(; It's so weird how busy I can be until I see a review that catches my attention; then I just have to drop what I'm doing and work on the next chapter! I got a review today asking if Hook would have a son (bringing up the option of a love triangle). In my other peter pan fanfic, Hook does have a son, so I probably shouldn't give him one in this fic... BUT as for the whole love triangle debacle.. well, I do love a little love triangle myself, if you catch where I'm going (it will just be with someone elses son, I'm afraid). So read and enjoy!**

My dress is a beautiful golden gossamer gown, simple but elegant. Alice has left my hair naturally falling in waves down my back, only pinning up sections of it with golden pins. My eyes are framed with golden colors and dark lashes. If my appearance doesnt impress the parents, I dont know what will.

I wander down the halls before dinner, too anxious to sit still and simply wait. I am debating whether or not I should chance getting dirt on this beautiful gown by going outside, when a door opening interrupts my thoughts. I duck behind a corner to see two men emerging from a hidden door in the hallway. I watch as they walk down the hall converging with each other and wait until they are out of sight before I approach the door.

I would have never noticed it before. Even now I am having a hard time making it out from the wall. I approach it slowly wondering if I should go in or not. I think about Cassius' father, Peter, and the hidden room he has behind his bookshelf. I press against the section that is the door, and it opens automatically.

I step through and into a small room. It is mainly bare, with a large desk baring a wall. Once I take a few more steps into the room I see that the wall the desk and chair is facing is filled with a large television screen. Transfixed I walk up to it and see what is displayed on the screen.

Images of the hallways of the house flash onto the screen, one by one, in real time. I see Daphne and Cassius walking together and look down, waiting for the image to pass.

Then I see on the desk that there are buttons with different labels. I scan over each one, noting that each is for a certain camera in a certain place. I dont pause until I see my name on a button. Before thinking twice I press it.

The screen goes black.

I take a step back, worried that I've broken something, before the screen lights up once more.

The scene showing is of the forest. I dont see anyone, not a single thing.

And then a bright light flashes. Someone comes running forth with a large lantern. I see him shouting something, but there is no audio.

And then I see a group of men run after the man with the lantern. They are all armed, and one of them has something slung over his shoulder.

I take another step back when I see that the thing over his shoulder is me.

He throws me to the ground and I lay motionless. The man then kneels down next to me and checks for my pulse.

It's then that I wake up. I scream and flail and the men all point their guns at me. One of the men goes to hold me down, to subdue me, and in the struggle ends up pulling out a large chunk of my hair. I scream again. The man next to me injects me with something while I am distracted by the man flashing his light at me and I succumb to sleep once more.

I watch as I lay there, still as the dead, while morning comes around and I finally do regain consciousness. _That must be why I was asleep so much longer than the others, _I think, _because they injected me with that drug later than the rest. _

I see myself run through the forest, dazed and alone and scared. I watch myself get thrown into the river. As I watch the girl that pushed me run away, I wonder for a moment what happened to her and why she didnt make it to the House like the rest of us.

When I was up on shore, I am woken. I sit up and look around and begin to cry. I scream and scream until I have no more air left to scream and I collapse. A little while later, I see Cassius appear in the scene. He takes a startled step back when he sees my unmoving body and then runs toward me, kneeling in the mud and cradling my head. He shakes me and speaks. Even though there is no sound coming from the screen, I know exactly what he is saying.

_"Hey. Hey stay with me. Dont give up on me, Blondie. I know you're stronger than that."_

The way he is holding me in his arms makes my skin warm, remembering how cold I was until he found me.

I dont want to watch this anymore.

I press another button blindly, hoping that the tape will stop, and the screen goes black once more. I breathe a sigh of relief.

The screen lights up again and shows me and Cassius in the forest. This was earlier, before the man with the knife assaulted us. I watch as Cassius and I talked, transfixed. I couldnt help but notice how he was looking at me- and how I was returning the same look in kind.

My heart stops when he brushes his mouth against mine; the almost-kiss that still burns in my thoughts.

I look away when the man with the knife grabs me, looking at the other buttons and their names. I see one labeled "TESTS" and place my finger over it. Could this be the tests that we are all administered and judged on? I itch to know what they are putting us through and why, but I stop myself from pressing the button. Maybe in the end it would be better if I dont know. With a sigh I take my hand off of the console.

"Wise decision," a voice behind me says. "Otherwise I would have had to disqualify you for cheating."

I gasp and whirl to see a woman standing there staring at me. She is petite, wearing a white beaded gown, dark curls framing her delicate face. She has large blue eyes and a warm, timid smile.

"You must be Sophia," she says. "Cassius always tells me you're the one that looks for trouble."

"You're right," I say, "I'm Sophia."

"My name is Vivian," she says, taking my hand. "I'm Cassius' mother."

**Mother not-really-daughter bonding time! yay! Meet Vivian! Like Vivian! I sure do! Till next time! **


	13. Chapter 13

**Hello again (SO SOON, I KNOW, RIGHT!?). Anywho I'm just sitting here awake at one in the morning. I should be wrapping presents.. (this year is a DIY christmas, everything handmade- barf.) but I'd much rather be writing. So here's the next chappie! Enjoy! **

Vivian is quiet as she walks with me through the halls. I study her as she stares solemnly ahead of her. She seems happy enough to be here... but if she had gone through anything like what I have been going through, than she certainly does a good job of hiding her pain. I try to picture the family that she had lost to compete for a hand in marriage. In another world.

I think of when Peter told me that he knew almost instantly that Vivian was going to be his wife. The look in his eyes when he said it told me that he was not lying in the least; it was a love at first sight moment for him.

"Was your competition easy for you?" I ask.

She jumps a little at the sound of my voice. Looking down at me she smiles a very motherly smile. "No. I like to tell myself that the real tests didn't really start until after I was married, though." She laughs lightly.

"So it was hard," I assume.

"Not necessarily," she says. "The tests are things that you would and would not expect to be tests. And you are faced with the fact every day that if you make it past all of the flaming hoops, you will have to leave your family, your friends. But if you fail, you may never see them regardless. If you succeed, the girls you are competing against are going through the same problems as you." She seems to catch herself at the end of this sentence, pressing her lips firmly together.

"But ultimately it isn't my choice," I say, "it's Cassius'."

She looks down at me with another smile. "Now, who told you that?" she asks kindly.

I furrow my brow. I guess no body had told me that, exactly.

"You always have a choice, Sophia," Vivian says as we near the doors to the dining room. "You may not think it, but every choice you make every second of every day has an effect on someone or something in this realm. The path _you _choose, not my son, will decide your fate for you. Nothing else. That's partly what the tests are intended for."

I had never thought of it like that. I mulled that over for a moment before saying, "So Cassius only _acts _like the ruler of the universe."

Vivian lets out a bought of laughter as the doors swing open and we are ushered to our seats.

Cassius looks between his mother and me from his seat beside Daphne with a smirk on his face. "I see I don't need to make any introductions," he says as we sit.

As the food is brought out to us, we all fall silent. Daphne is wearing a beautiful glittering red dress, one of those ones that seem to be slit all the way up one side to expose beautiful legs beneath. Gabrielle is wearing a midnight blue floor length cocktail dress with dark makeup to match. She seems more fidgety tonight than usual, this is probably the most nervous I've ever seen her.

I dont pay much attention to the conversation that takes place over the course of our dinner; it is mostly just rapid fire questions to each of the brides letting Peter and Vivian know more about us. Cassius seems to be in a separate world in his head entirely, his eyes cast skyward, a small smile playing on his lips. I wonder what he is living in his imagination right now, who he is talking to and what he is seeing. Daphne, on the other hand, is staring dreamily at Cassius and I have no problem whatsoever picking out what is playing through her head at the moment as she sizes the boy next to her up and down. I roll my eyes and move onto Gabrielle, who is still as fidgety as ever. Her complexion has gone completely white and I am about to ask if she's going to be sick when she suddenly stands from her chair.

And pulls out a gun.

Daphne screams, of course, and Peter utters a surprised curse. Cassius and I lock eyes across the table and then both look at Gabrielle. Vivian drops her silverware back to her plate with a loud clatter and a gasp. From the corner of my eye I see Cassius' hands move and a quick gleam of metal before he is as perfectly still as the rest of us.

"I want to go home," Gabrielle says.

"This is your home," Peter tries.

I almost want to roll my eyes along with Gabrielle when he says this, but refrain.

"Everyone get up," she commands, waving the gun to make her point more clear.

We all do, Daphne clinging to Cassius and whimpering the whole time. He shushes her as we make our way to the corner of the room that Gabrielle points us to. Peter is holding Vivian's hand, though she looks more confused than scared.

Once we are all in the corner and facing her, Gabrielle nods, content for the moment. "If anyone screams, I shoot the first person this gun lands on."

We are all silent. I hear sniffling behind me and gather that Daphne must have started crying. I hear some more shushes from Cassius and nothing more.

"Good," Gabrielle continues. "Now. One of you tell me the way to get out of this place and back home."

"You know I cant do that," Peter says calmly.

"The hell you cant," Gabrielle says, pointing the gun at Vivian.

I step forward in front of Vivian and hold out my arms pleadingly. "Hang on, Gabrielle," I say.

"You're just as clueless as Daphne is, Sophia," Gabrielle says. I see from this distance that she has started crying as well. "Get out of the way. Just let me figure this out and I will leave you all alone."

I take a slow step toward her to show her that I mean no harm. "Just calm down."

"If you put the gun down, we can talk about this," Cassius says.

"No deal," Gabrielle replies sharply. "Sophia, come here."

A hand grabs mine before I can take another step forward. I turn to see Daphne behind me, to my surprise.

"Don't go over there," she whispers. "She'll kill you."

I take a deep breath, acknowledging the tip given to me by the red head who I'm surprised hasn't gotten a gun and shot me herself. "Noted," I say. "Now wouldn't that be a relief for you?" I ask, giving her hand a quick squeeze and flashing a small smile before pulling from her grasp.

I step forward with my hands near my face. "I want to leave just as much as you, Gabrielle," I say quietly. "You know I do."

"I dont know that at all," Gabrielle says, but I see her grip on the gun waver. "All I know is that I see the way Cassius looks at Daphne. I see how he looks at you. I know I'm the next to be thrown out, and all I want is to have someplace to go back to when I'm told to leave this place."

"Cant you just tell her that?" I ask the group in the corner. I am now standing directly in front of Gabrielle. Her gun is at her side and she is watching me warily, as if I am the dangerous one.

"Maybe," Peter replies, "if she had asked nicely."

Gabrielle's jaw flexes and she whips the gun up, pointing it at my head. I wince from the proximity, my muscles tensing.

"Cassius!" she yells, "Tell me now!"

I can hear Cassius break Daphne's grip on his arm and walk to the front of the group.

"I'm sorry, Sophia," he says with such sincerity that I almost accept the fact that Gabrielle is going to put a bullet through my head any second. I squeeze my eyes shut and wait for the bang.

I hear something whiz through the air and bite into my temple before sailing true into its target: Gabrielle.

I watch as Cassius' dinner knife sinks itself into Gabrielle's shoulder. Shocked, she drops the gun.

I am shoved to the ground an instant later. Peter steps in front of me and kicks the gun away from her. He hauls her up to her feet and ushers her from the room.

I sit stunned for a moment before I feel something tickling my face.

Daphne is kneeling before me saying something repeatedly. I shake the fuzz from my head and tune in to what she is saying.

"Sophia. Your face. It's cut."

A pair of hands move Daphne out of the way and now Cassius fills my vision. His golden eyes blaze as he looks me over. "I'm so sorry, Sophia," he says again. "I tried to curve the throw, but you were just too close to the target."

I shake my head. "It was a good throw."

He breaths out heavily and pulls me into his arms. "You idiot," he whispers roughly. "You could have died. I could have lost you, Soph."

I think of the tests yet to come, the fact that now there are only two brides left to compete for Cassius' love, and bite my lip. _You still might lose me, Cas. _

Instead of saying anything of that sort, I smile slightly.

"What?" Cassius asks.

"You just called me Soph," I observed triumphantly.

He scowls and shoves me back down to the ground just as a medic walks over to where we are sitting.

Despite the current situation, I laugh.

As he walks away shaking his head, though, I see Cassius crack a smile as well.

**Well. There we have it. The sad story of how three brides became two. Review my loves! **

**Oh, and also, I was just wondering if I could get your guys' opinion on something!: if you think you know what a test is, mention it in the review box or PM me if you dont want to review. I'm just curious to see what my readers think! Till next time! **


	14. Chapter 14

**Whew, well here's another chappie! I've been really busy with school and things, so I apologize that it has taken me so long to update! Dont kill me in your reviews! Enjoy! **

A noise in the distance wakes me. I sit up and look around me in disbelief. The lighting is dim and the light is coming in from the wrong side of my room. I shake my head to clear the fuzz, but it helps little. Where am I? I feel like I am in a long forgotten place that had almost forgotten me.

The door opens just then and in steps a woman. Her hair is graying around the temples and she has worry lines etched across her face. "Oh," she whispers, "my Sophia. You're awake."

"Wait," I say, trying to calm my racing heart. I never thought I would see this woman again. And now she was standing right in front of me with a strangely sad look in her eyes.

"Mom?" I ask as she hurries to my side and presses the back of her hand against my forehead to check for a fever.

"How are you feeling?" She asks me. "That's quite a nasty cut."

I touch my temple where Cassius had nicked me with his dinner knife and wince. "How did I get here?" I ask, looking around. "Where's Cassius? Where's Alice?" It takes me a moment to realize that I truly am in my bedroom- my real bedroom.

In Kansas.

"Oh, hon, you never left." My mom looks at me with that still sad and sympathetic look.

What did she mean? Where was Alice- she usually likes to explain everything to me. And _where _is Cassius?

_You never left._

"_What?"_ I shove my mother away from me and throw the sheets off. I'm in a silly white lace nightgown that I've never seen before and I notice my hair has been pulled into an intricate braid at the back of my head. I fight the urge to rip it out.

Startled by my reaction to what she has just told me, my mother stands and backs toward the door. "I'm going to go get you some food and water. You need to settle down, honey."

I stand and walk over to her. "Mom, I've been missing for _months_, you can't tell me that none of it was real. You cant tell me-" I choke off the last bit of my sentence, too afraid to have a nervous breakdown to continue.

She doesn't reply though, just stares at me with wide eyes.

"Mom, say something."

Instead, she falls forward, her sudden weight knocking me down. I scream and scramble to get out from underneath her.

"Mom!" I yell worriedly when I see the red stain spreading across the back of her shirt.

I look to the doorway and see the dark shadowy figure of the man Cassius called Maxim.

"Hello, pretty bride," he says as he takes a step forward.

I lurch upward and out of my unconscious, gasping for breath. When my eyes adjust to the darkness of the room, I see that I am still in my room in Neverland. I am still here. "Not in Kansas," I breathe to myself.

But the dream was so real to me; and that was exactly how I had left my room in Kansas, before I was taken in the middle of the night by the Lost Boys.

I think about the conversation that I had with my mom, what I had said to her in my dream. _"You cant tell me-" _I had started to say. With a sinking feeling in my stomach, I finished the sentence that I had managed to choke back out of my mouth in my present reality.

"You can't tell me I'll never see him again," I say, with tears in my eyes. This dream made me realize that there are two things that I want so badly in this world, two things that are pulling me into completely different directions.

There is a tight feeling in my chest now and I am nowhere near sleepy. I slip out of my bed and leave my room, needing some fresh air.

When I am outside, I dont make it far before I have to sit. The sky is chalked with pastel hues of an oncoming dawn and I think that this place, so terrifying and sad, still has such a beautiful sky. In the distance I see more fighter jets take off and I wonder where they fly to, or where they fly from.

I hear someone behind me and sigh. "Cant a girl cry in peace, Cassius?" I ask half heartedly.

"It's not Cassius."

I whirl in disbelief to see Daphne standing there looking at me.

I furrow my brow as she drops down beside me with a sigh. "I heard you leave your room and I thought I'd see where you were headed."

"You couldnt sleep?" I ask.

She shakes her head. "Not at all."

We lapse into a comfortable silence as I bring my knees to my chest and rest my chin on them, still staring at the sky growing brighter.

"About what you said," Daphne starts, "when we were at dinner. You told me that it'd be a relief to me if Gabrielle killed you."

I nod slowly, my chin rubbing against my knees as I do so.

"It's not true," she says. "About you dying being a relief. I dont really think that at all. I actually kind of like you."

I turn to look at her skeptically. "You what?" I ask in disbelief.

She nods, looking at the grass around her bare feet. "And I miss my family, too. All the time."

"Do you usually call other people out for what they have and what they lack when you miss your family?" I ask, thinking of when Daphne ripped me apart for merely being from a small town.

"I get jealous a lot," Daphne says. "I cant help it."

I stare at her, wondering where the catch is at.

"But I'm glad it's come down between you and me to compete to be Cassius' wife," she says decidedly. When she sees my blank stare, she continues saying, "Cassius told me about how he promised you he'd show you how to get back home when you lose. So I wont feel as bad thinking that you're going to become a lost boy when you lose."

Ah, the catch.

I smile, despite myself. She sees my smirk and returns it with one of her own.

After we lapse into another silence, I notice her studying me. "Yes?" I ask, still staring ahead of me.

"Do you really wear that to bed?" she asks, motioning toward my oversized T-shirt.

"That depends," I say, turning to look at her, "do you really wear _that_?" I motion to her jade green silk slip.

She laughs, despite herself. "I was always told that I need to keep up appearances no matter when or where." Another sigh. "Mom was such a drama queen. I was always in those local competitions for modeling or acting or dancing. I think I like it here so much because I don't have to worry about letting anyone down but myself."

It is such a random confession, such a random time for her to let me into her life. "Why are you telling me all of this?" I ask.

She looks at me and furrows her brow. "I don't really know," she says. "I guess I'm just tired of being the one that everyone can't stand in the House. I don't want to be the girl that my mother tried to make me. I guess I want to be more like- well, more like you."

I continue to stare at her. I think about pinching myself to make sure that I am truly awake this time, but refrain.

"What?" she says defensively, staring back.

A shadow is cast over us and we both look up to see a man looking down at us. "And who are you?" he asks.

"Who are _you_?" Daphne immediately replies.

I quickly stand and bring Daphne up with me. "I'm Sophia and this is Daphne," I explain.

The man still stares at both of us. He is wearing worn clothing with rips and holes and dirt all over. He has a salt and pepper beard and I'd imagine matching hair, though it is being hidden under a dirty red hat. He has a distant look on his face, as though he is not all there in his mind.

Daphne takes a step back, pulling me with her. "We were just leaving."

He seems to put two and two together, just then. "Go back to the House?" he asks. "You're Brides." This last one isn't a question.

Daphne gives my arm another tug. "Sophia, come on," she says.

But the man lunges before I can turn away from him. I am knocked down and a cloth is held over my mouth before I can utter a sound. I hear Daphne screaming and I know, just before I lose consciousness, that if she tries to run she will not make it very far.

**Whaaaaaaaa? Can y'all guess who this character might be? He's based (extremely) loosely off of one of the original Peter Pan characters. Till next time, my lovelies! **


	15. Chapter 15

**AN: hey, pretty things. I've been up all night studying for my midterms and I thought I would reward myself before I go to bed with an updated chapter for this story and an episode of Lost.(: Before I delve into the new chapter, though, I just want to say that today has been awesome for a couple of reasons! 1. Lauren DeStefano retweeted me and, uh, I kind of had a heart attack when I saw. Then, 2. I checked my email and, lo and behold, I had just received a notification for my 90th review! Thank you guys so much! You all are awesome sauce! I hope you enjoy my next chapter!((: **

There is a sharp sting hitting my cheek bone periodically. I shake my head to clear some of the fuzz and feel droplets of water run down my face. I swat at the moisture and sit up, realizing that the stinging sensation is merely cold water dripping onto my face. The room I am in is dim, and lines seem to cross themselves before my vision. I squeeze my eyes shut and try to sit up only to bang my head against metal with a clang.

I hear someone expel a breath. "Finally, you're awake." It's Daphne.

I open my eyes and can now see that I am in a small metal cage. The type that you would lock your golden lab in when you leave the house. I turn as best as I can in the confined space to see where Daphne's voice is coming from. I spot her in about the same predicament as me in a cage of her own a few feet away. Her hair is only slightly matted, her nightgown stained. There is dirt on her arms and legs and face. I look down and see that I am dirty as well, though I'm not sure if it's from the struggle against that man or being dragged to these cages from the House.

"Where are we?" I ask.

"You think I came out of that whole thing conscious?" Daphne immediately snaps, though I can hear the strain of fear underneath the bite in her tone.

I try and see where exactly we are, but the only light in the room is being filtered through a grimy window with moth-eaten curtains. The room I can tell is small. There is only one door which I would assume to lead outside of this place. I could spot what looked like a dirty sink and a wood-burning stove across the room from us. The basin of the sink was large, like something that you would gut fish in. Along the wall closest to Daphne there was a cot with dirty blankets and a single pillow.

"Where did he go? Did you see?"

Daphne shakes her head. "I woke up to the door slamming shut."

"How long ago was that?"

She shakes her head once more. "Half an hour maybe."

I nod, as if I understand what is going on even though I don't.

"What are the chances of Cassius finding us?" Daphne asks.

_Not good_, my gut says, but I don't want to tell her that. I want to believe that Cassius is combing the forest for us right now, but I can't really be sure; we had both left the House without permission all before anyone had really woken up. As much as I want to believe that help is on the way, something tells me that Daphne and I are on our own for now. "I'm sure as soon as he finds us missing, he'll send a search party," I tell her.

"Who do you think this creep even is?"

I shake my head. "Definitely not a Lost Boy. Whoever he is, he's obviously a few screws loose."

"That doesn't help," Daphne says with a slight tremor in her voice now.

I open my mouth to tell her that my help wasn't really what was needed right now when the door knob turns and in steps the man that had taken us. Looking up at him from this angle is awkward, but I force myself to do it anyway. He is wearing the same ratted clothing that he had been before, humming a little tune under his breath. I notice he has a bundle of firewood in his arms.

When he turns and notices Daphne and I staring at him, he smiles. "Oh, good, you're up!" he chirps. I notice he is missing too many teeth to count and the others seem like they're about to take a dive any second. He struts over to the fireplace and begins loading wood inside of it. The smoke from the flu doesn't help the atmosphere at all.

After loading a few logs into the fireplace he stands and turns to regard us. His stare is blank as it roams over us, flickering in and out of life certain moments. I shudder as he smiles once more. "Welcome to my home," he says humbly.

"Who are you?" I ask.

"Just let us go!" Daphne cries.

"My name is Smee," he says, either deliberately choosing to ignore Daphne or not. "And who are you?"

I work my jaw, thinking. This man is obviously crazy. If Daphne and I play along, we might be able to get a chance to escape. "I'm Sophia," I say as calmly as I can, "and this is Daphne."

Daphne shoots me a look as if to ask who the crazy person in the room really was, but I ignore it.

"Will you tell us why you've taken us?" I ask in the same calm voice.

He takes a deep breath and begins humming again. To my utter horror I recognize the melody this time: Here Comes The Bride. He kneels and pulls something from inside of his boot. Daphne, seeing it first, whimpers. The dull light gleams off of the blade, flashing over Smee's creased face and toothless smile. "Sophia," he says, "and Daphne. Tell me: which is the Prince's favorite?"

Daphne expels a startled breath as my heart stops.

He runs the sharp edge of the blade over the rusting metal of the fireplace making a screeching sound. "Tell me now," he says casually.

"It's me," I say. Daphne shoots me another look but I refuse to return her gaze.

Smee smiles and walks slowly over to my cage. I'm not able to do much but cringe back from him as he slides the bolt from home and opens the door to the cage. He steps back to allow me to crawl out and, after a moment of hesitation, I do. "I want the Prince's favorite to join my party first."

I nod as if this is a reasonable thing to say, eyeing the way he holds the knife. His grip on the handle is lax, but I can see the blade is very, very sharp.

He motions toward the sink. "Come," he says. "We wouldn't want to make a mess."

"What are you going to do?" I ask.

"You're going to join the party," he says once more.

"What does that mean?" I ask, trying to keep the rising hysteria out of my voice as I do.

He pauses for a moment, looking at the ground. "I have two Brides and they're going to stay with me forever. And then Maxim will want me back," he says, "when I am the Prince with two Brides."

I dont take long to process this; I shove him away from me and dive for Daphne's cage, sliding the bolt away from it's home.

Before I can completely unlock the cage, though, Daphne screams and I am violently thrown to the side. I hit the ground hard and cry out. I can feel Meek on top of me, his hot stinking breath consuming the air around my face. I cry out as I feel the chill of the blade slide against my skin and shove out at the area. I hear the sound of metal sliding against wood and know with some glee that I have knocked the weapon out of his hand.

But his weight is heavy on me as he struggles to overpower me. His large hand slides up to my exposed throat and presses down hard against my neck. Struggling to breathe, I search in vain for the knife that I had knocked loose. My vision begins to blur and blacken as I loose oxygen flow and my fingers fumble uselessly to find a weapon or at least shove him away from me.

Suddenly, though, with a cry, Meek has released his hold on my throat. I turn away from him, filling my lungs with as much air as I can as my vision slowly starts to come back to me. I turn to see Daphne standing above Meek, both hands gripping the knife. She had sliced through the skin on his back, seeming to shock him.

"Sophia, lets go!" she screams as she drops the knife and races for the door.

Only a beat behind her, I jump to my feet and run through the door after her. Once we are outside we run straight into the tree line. I have never been in this part of the forest before and I can only hope that we are going the right way. The twigs and leaves on the ground cut into my feet but at the moment I only care about getting as far away from Meek as possible.

I can hear him, though, running behind us. He isn't very far behind either. "We can't outrun him," I gasp.

"Stop!" I hear, and I do, because the voice I hear is familiar to me.

"Sophia, what-" Daphne begins once she sees me come to a stop, but I raise my hand to cut her off.

Mary appears from between trees. "Over here," she says, ushering us to where she is standing.

We do as we're told. Once we are within reach, Mary grabs my hand and I grab Daphne's. Mary leads us through a winding path through the trees which looks random to me, but Mary seems to be picking each step deliberately.

"Here," she finally says, dropping my hand. I move to release Daphne, but she tightens her grip on my hand.

Seconds later, Meek appears across a copse of trees from us. There is blood on his shirt now, but he doesn't seem to notice. As soon as he takes Daphne and I in, he grins and starts forward, raising the knife above his head. Daphne moves to run but Mary holds her ground and I follow her lead.

Meek breaks into a run toward us-

And drops into a trap pit an instant later.

Mary placidly walks over to the pit and looks down. "We only let you live by yourself because you promised you wouldn't break any rules, Meek," she called down. "Now look what you've done."

"Thank you," I say. "Mary, Thank you so much."

She merely shrugs. "You did the same for me," she says.

Daphne looks between us silently.

Mary pulls a flare gun from a small pack at her side and fires it off. I watch as the red flame shoots into the sky and know that it is only a matter of time before we are found.

Sure enough, only a little while after waiting, a group of armed men crash through the clearing, led by none other than Cassius himself. Peter is with him, dressed in a more entitled-looking uniform along with Cassius to let everyone know that they were in charge.

It didn't take long for Daphne to burst into tears and fling herself into Cassius' arms. Peter walks over to me and places his hands on my shoulders.

"Are you okay?" he asks.

I nod, definitely still sensible enough to realize that I'm still only wearing an oversized Tshirt.

He hugs me close before releasing me, only a second of affection that I was not ready to receive. "I'm glad," he whispers.

He turns from me to Daphne and opens his arms in condolence. She runs to him and hugs him in kind.

Leaving Cassius and I. We stare at each other for a long moment, simply taking each other in. Then, Cassius expels a breath and pulls me into his arms.

I wrap my arms around him and breathe in the smell of him: spices and sun. He holds me tight to his chest and buries his face in my hair.

We release each other a moment later and watch as the armed men that accompanied the two circle around the pit that Meek was now in. Cassius takes Daphne's hand and leads her away as Mary takes mine and does the same. "I don't think even you are ready to see how this ends," she says solemnly.

Once we are a good distance away, I hear the gunshots rip through the air and cringe. "No," I say finally, "I dont think I am."

**AN: Phew, that was a lot longer than I was expecting it to be! Aaaaaaand, the first chronicle of this series is about to be finished up! YAYAYAY! So I'll start working on the next chapter, and you guys try and figure out how this will end or just simply tell me how you like the story so far! CAN YOU IMAGINE IF WE GET TO 100 REVIEWS!? Till next time my lovelies! **


	16. Chapter 16

**Hi guys! It's rainy here in Kansas and so I thought I'd share a hopelessly romantic chapter with you guys. Sorry it's kind of short, but the last few chapters are going to be super long! Enjoy! **

Two days crept past me and nothing happened. I was not allowed to leave the House for the sake of my safety, and for once I was content with doing what I was told. I would doze off from lack of sleep, only to be awakened with nightmarish images of everything that had happened to me since I came to this place. When Alice came into my room and told me that tonight was the night of the Choosing Ceremony, I felt a hollow ache in my chest- whether from relief or fear, I was not sure.

"It shouldn't last too terribly long," Alice says in that calm voice of hers as she works the knots out of my hair with a comb. I stare placidly at my reflection, wondering if it will be possible to take the dark shadows out from under my eyes.

I sigh. "So it's like a ball," I say, trying to keep up with what she has told me so far. "We dance and everyone laughs. Then what?"

"Well, then Cassius gets up in front of everyone and announces the winner, who will become his Bride."

I don't even have the courage to nod. My fingers are shaking. Half of me is exultant in the fact that I will not be Chosen. _I get to go home! _a voice inside of me sings repeatedly.

But another part of me, one that I had buried deep within me, thinks back to the promise Cassius had made me when I first came here, when he told me that I would not win this and he would show me the way back to my home, and my heart sinks. _I'm not ready to say goodbye to you, Cas. _another voice whispers somewhere from within.

I come back to reality just long enough to see that Alice has stopped fiddling with my hair. She is staring at me through the mirror, an expressionless look on her face. There is emotion in her eyes, though, as she regards me. "You need some time to think," she guesses.

I look at the curls she has created in my hair and nod.

"Go for a walk through the House, then come back."

The House is utterly silent as I make my way through the halls. I don't see any signs of Daphne; she's probably getting ready for tonight as well.

I wander through the House quietly, trying to memorize every detail that I might have missed before: a crack in the plaster of the wall, a rip in the carpet, whether the gilt frames holding paintings of places in Neverland were real or fake gold. Even the smell, like the pages of one of your favorite books that you've read a hundred times over.

I end up in the small pantry, the one with the window that I had escaped from first coming to Neverland. I almost want to laugh at how desperate I was at getting out of this place. Thinking back on it now, I can almost see Cassius in the security room watching the footage of me running to the hills with a small smile on his face. Even then he knew what to expect of me; he found me quicker than I would have thought anyone would.

"You're not trying to escape again, are you?"

I whirl to see Cassius standing in the doorway, as if the mere thought of him in my mind had conjured him.

"No," I say, "not this time."

He stands there and regards me, his bright golden eyes taking in every detail. "I'll keep my promise, you know," he says, finally.

I nod. "I never doubted you wouldn't."

As he steps closer to me I see that there are shadows under his eyes as well. His hair is unkempt, but it suits him. He may be a boy brought up to rule this land, but I've seen him in the forest, in the trees. He isn't tamed. The pantry is so small that I feel as though Cassius is taking up the entire room.

"You're not nervous, are you?" I ask.

He smiles a small smile, but it is real. "Only when I think about it. Are you?"

"Only when I think about it."

He sighs and shakes his head. "I wish things could have been different," he says. Taking my face between his hands, he leans forward and kisses me before I even know what to think.

The kiss only lasts a second, but I feel it everywhere, like taking in air after holding your breath for a long time. He pulls back and I can see in his eyes that he felt it everywhere, too. I know that there is pain in both of our eyes as we stare at the thing we want but cannot have. My fingers itch to pull him close to me and just forget that this might be the last day I will ever see him again.

But he merely says, "I'll see you tonight," and walks out of the room, leaving me alone.

**AN: waaaaaaaaah! Review my lovely readers! I'll try and update as soon as possible; I already have one of the last chapters already written up, and I've started to work on the sequel (wut wut!). Till next time! **


	17. Chapter 17

**AN: hi, guys! I'm sorry I've taken so long to update!): It's finals week and I've been a little busy. But after this week I will be free, free, free to write! So to tide you over until then, here's the next chapter!**

My dress is the most beautiful gown in the world. It flows straight down, moving like a waterfall or rain in a field when I move. Pink with hints of gold. My hair is done in an intricate style and a golden crown in the shape of vines and leaves has been placed on top of my head. I look like royalty.

Once I arrive at the banquet hall, I see that there are already so many people filling the room laughing and dancing and smiling. I had never thought about other people that lived in this world other than those in the House and the Lost Boys, but it should have been obvious that we were not the only ones here.

Daphne comes up behind me wearing an emerald silk gown. Her hair is pinned in curls on top of her head and she is wearing a crown identical to mine. She looks absolutely gorgeous, of course. She smiles weakly at me once she catches my eye. "You look so pretty," she says to me.

"Not as pretty as you," I reply.

She takes a deep breath and bounces from foot to foot. "I'm so nervous," she admits.

I shrug, trying to act unaffected, but I am full of butterflies and nerves as well. "We just need to wait out here until we're called," I repeat what Alice had told me before sending me down here, "then we each dance with Cas, and then they'll announce-" I stop before finishing the sentence, suddenly unable to say it.

But Daphne knows. "And then they'll announce who gets to stay," she finishes quietly for me.

"Ladies and gentleman," I hear Peter's booming voice announce. "May I present to you the two final candidates competing for the honor of becoming my son, Cassius's, bride: Daphne and Sophia."

We enter as the room breaks out in a polite applause. We walk to where Peter and Cassius are standing at the front of the room. I try to keep my breaths even, but fail miserably. It's all I can do not to faint from terror before making it to the platform where the two men stand.

Once we make it there, I see Cassius has a small smile on his face, though he looks exhausted. He holds his hand out to Daphne politely. "Shall we?" he asks.

I'm relieved he asks her to dance before me, allowing me to get a grip on my nerves and try to calm down before I'm thrown into the crowd to spin around in circles. I close my eyes and count backwards from ten. When I open my eyes after that, I see Peter staring down at me.

"Nervous?" he asks.

With a small smile I manage to nod.

"Dont be," he says dismissively. "Soon enough this will all be behind us. I'm sure my son has chosen the right girl." He smiles at me assuredly.

He thinks that Cassius has chosen me. I feel the color drain from my face. He's in for a big surprise.

When it the song ends and Daphne is returned back to the platform, Cassius silently takes my hand and leads me out to the dance floor. I am anxious all over again.

The music is soft and sweet, and Cassius' hold on me is firm and sure. The dress I am wearing flows out behind me as he spins me around on the dance floor. We blend into the crowd nicely, bodies brushing against mine, the feel of soft silk against my skin. Now, here, looking into Cassius' golden eyes, I feel warm.

"You look," Cassius says, casting his eyes up and down the length of me as we twirl, "stunning, Soph."

"You don't look too bad, either," I reply with a wry smile.

His smile is small, but amused. "I'll have to thank Alice later for that dress," he says.

"Yeah," I say as I look down, suddenly shy, "me, too."

"Sophia," he says quietly, reaching one hand to tilt my chin up. I meet his eyes almost instantly and he smiles. This smile is a rare one, one I haven't seen on him in a very long time. It is genuine, sweet, and full of an emotion I hardly ever see on him.

"Yes?" I ask when he says nothing.

He looks almost surprised, like he has just figured something out. He opens his mouth to speak—

But the music is sharply cut off as the lights go out. Screams erupt throughout the large room. Cassius, instead of releasing me like I expect, holds me closer to him as we all look around in vain to find a source for the power outage.

The next moment, the speaker system crackles to life as emergency generated lights come on, casting a dark, dim, almost orange sheen to the party. I turn to see the faces of hundreds of stunned people, scared and confused.

"Pardon the interruption," a thickly accented voice says into the speaker system. I furrow my brow, confused.

"No," is all Cassius says, almost a growl.

"But I am afraid to inform you that you are under attack. So sorry."

As soon as the words echo around the room, the people's alarm starts. I am bumped and jostled, ripped cleanly out of Cassius' arms. I yell his name as I am swept into the chaos, people running for the exits. I hear gunshots the next instant and really start to panic. "Cassius!" I scream.

The crowd opens and through the gap I see Daphne in her emerald gown, searching just like I am. I run up to her and grab her arm. Her crown is askew; her fiery curls are coming out of their hold. Her eyes widen as she looks at me.

"Sophia," she says frantically, clutching on to me. "What's going on? Where's Cassius?"

"I don't know," I reply, my heart racing. "But we need to get out of here."

Still clinging to each other, we make our way toward the exit. There are people tearing to get past us and out the door. I can still hear gunshots, but see no weapons in sight. I haul Daphne after me, pressing past the bodies and toward the door at the end of the room.

"Sophia," she whimpers as we are shoved through the too-small doorway and out into the hall. "Where's Cassius? I'm scared."

"Don't be," I say, trying my best to sound calm. I have every right to be acting just as terrified, but instead I am babysitting her.

More gunshots, more screams. Daphne is now clinging onto me for dear life, whimpering like a wounded animal. I bite the inside of my cheek until I can taste blood, the coppery taste filling my mouth, and back up into the wall of the large hallway.

When I finally spot one of Cassius' guards, I sigh in relief and run toward him.

The rugged man turns and gives a start. "Lady Sophia," he says, "Lady Daphne."

"Where's Cassius?" I ask hurriedly as more gunfire sounds.

"Still in the Room," Wallace says, still looking shocked.

My heart stops. Oh, no.

Daphne has started crying.

I shove her into Wallace's arms. "Take her. Keep her safe," I say.

"Sophie!" She cries.

"I'll be alright," I say through gritted teeth. I am violently shaking with nerves and fear, but all I can think about is getting to Cassius.

"We're meeting in the Mapping Room. Careful," he says as sternly as he can, handing me a knife from his belt. He at least knows me well enough to know he cannot stop me from running back into the chaos.

I nod, letting him know that I understand, and run back through the door, away from the now screaming Daphne.

**AN: phew! There we go! Reviews always make my day (and they'd make my finals week a lot brighter, too!). Tell me what you guys think so far! BTW I HAVE THE FIRST FEW CHAPTERS OF THE SEQUEL WRITTEN SO YAY! **


	18. Chapter 18

**AN: another chapter?! ALREADY!? **

**...**

**yes.**

**Enjoy! **

Once back in the large ballroom, I look around me. I now see the men with guns, cornering the party guests with their large assault rifles. They are wearing all black, their faces streaked with dark war paint.

I begin searching frantically for Cassius. The room has cleared out since the attack began, but I still see no sign of him. "Cassius!" I yell. "Cas!"

One of the Pirates turns and sees me. He takes in my outfit, my crown, and grins, starting toward me with his gun.

I begin to back toward the door, knowing there is no way I am capable of fighting off any of these men, especially when they have guns.

Someone grabs me roughly around the waist. Forcing me toward the wall of the room. Desperate, I scream and claw, all to no avail. I can hear the Pirate's raspy breath in my ear, stirring the hair around my face, and try as hard as I can bear not to burst into tears. "Let go of me!" I scream.

The Pirate merely laughs in my ear. "Got me a Bride. My lucky day," he says.

I throw an elbow as hard as I can into his gut and hear the breath go out of him. I turn and shove myself away from him before he can regain his strength. I lurch forward only to be grabbed by the hair and hauled backwards. I scream once more.

The man jams the point of his gun up under my jaw and growls. "Bitch," he snarls.

I hear the gunshot and a sob rips its way out of my throat. It takes me a moment to realize that I am still alive and the Pirate holding me has let go of me.

I look up and see Cassius standing yards away, handgun still pointed to the spot where the Pirate behind me stood.

"Oh, God," I breathe, rushing forward to where he stands.

He lowers his weapon and wraps an arm around me as soon as I am within reach. "What the hell are you doing here?" he yells. "Where's Daphne?"

"I sent her off with a guard," is all I say in reply.

He shoots me a measured look. "You're a fool for coming back," he says.

"Maybe," I say. "He told me that we're supposed to go to the Mapping Room."

Cassius merely nods. "You don't have a gun?" he asks.

I shake my head, looking down at the knife in my hand. "I wouldn't know how to use it if I did," I reply.

He nods once more. "Than stay close, okay?"

It is my turn to nod before we run toward the exit of the room, dodging people's grasping hands as we go.

Once in the hall, we are back in the pandemonium of the attack. There are people scrambling to find loved ones, trying to find the exit, trying to find control. Cassius still has his arm around me and is pushing through people with the other. I am beginning to think we are in the clear until a man fires his way through the crowd and straight toward me.

I am knocked into the wall, my head screaming on impact. I open my eyes and see that the man is not a pirate, but one of the party guests.

Cassius' gun is trained on the man's head the next instant. "Back away."

The man doesn't look at Cassius. "They want you two and the other Bride. They'll leave us alone if they have you."

He is pushing me against the wall with such force that my shoulders start to feel as though they'll break. I look desperately at Cassius.

"I will shoot you," is all he says, his tone lethal. "And I wont think twice about it."

The man glares at me an instant longer, long enough for me to realize that he is old, as old as Peter, and scared for his life. His eyes are very blue. He lets me go and melts back into the melee.

Cassius wastes no time, pulling me back against his side and pushing us forward through the crowd.

"Do they?" I ask, so quietly that I don't think Cassius has even heard me.

"Do they what?" Cassius responds, not really paying attention to me.

"Do they really want us? Is that what they came here for?"

His brow furrows. "I don't know."

"But I don't know anything," I say. "I would be of no use to them."

"They wouldn't want you for your knowledge," Cassius says in a voice that sends chills down my spine.

Once we make it to the Mapping Room, I breathe a sigh of relief. Cassius pushes open the door and ushers me inside.

Everyone is already there: Peter, Vivian, Daphne, and a couple of other guards.

"Cassius," Daphne sobs when she sees the two of us entering the room.

"I'm fine," is all Cassius says. He walks over to where his father is standing, staring at the wall of large television screens. "They're everywhere," he reports. "Inside and out."

"What do they want?" Daphne asks shakily.

"Isn't that obvious?" I ask her in return.

Daphne merely shakes her head; as if she can't believe what is happening.

Peter sighs, opting to ignore Daphne and I. "I figured as much," he told his son. He then turned to Wallace. "Tell the army it is an amber alert. We can't tell the difference between the pirates and the lost boys, but we have no choice but to open fire. Bomb the forest, too; that's probably where they're hiding out. We'll have to rebuild once—"

"What?" I ask, incredulous. My mind goes immediately to Mary, out in the woods. "You'll kill innocent people if you do that!" I cry.

"And what do you think we should do?" Daphne almost snarls at me.

My eyes widen at her sudden viciousness. "I don't expect us to blindly murder hundreds." I turn and look at Peter, who is now staring at me like I am some kind of lab experiment gone wrong. "You have an army," I say, almost pleading, "send them out to scare the Pirates off."

Cassius, expressionless, runs his eyes over me before turning to his father. "She has a point," he says.

Ignoring his son, Peter stares at me a moment later before raising one eyebrow. "I don't recall asking for your advice in battle. Wallace, Jasper," he says to the two guards in the corner, "take the Brides to the Safe Room."

"No!" I cry as Jasper comes up behind me and grabs my arm. Daphne, on the other hand, has gone very still in Wallace's grip, her expression docile. "Let me go! Cas!" I scream.

"Let her go," Cassius finally says to his father.

His father looks from his son to me considering and shakes his head. "She has no part in this," he says.

"I have every part!" I yell.

"Darling," Vivian says to her husband, "she should be able to stay if she wants."

Peter shakes his head. "You go with them, Viv."

Vivian looks stung, but keeps her chin held high. "Very well."

"And this is your order?" Cassius asks his father, staring at me.

Peter hesitates for a moment and then gives a curt nod.

Cassius takes a deep breath and nods as well. He walks up to where I am struggling in Jasper's grasp and takes hold of me.

"Cassius," I say, letting all the hurt and betrayal I feel leak into that one word.

He says nothing, just tightens his grip on me and steers me from the room.

Once in the hall, Cassius and I fall immediately behind, mainly because of how fiercely I am struggling against his hold on me. "You can't just lock me up," I say.

"I can," Cassius says, "and I will."

"That's not fair!" I cry.

The next instant I am slammed against the wall beside me. Cassius has pinned me there and is glaring into my eyes. "Don't tell me what is and what isn't fair, Sophia. I will _not _lose you."

"And I wont lose you," I instantly reply. "I want to be there with you. If you lock me up I wont know what's happening, or if you're hurt, or—"

Cassius presses his lips to mine, hard. His hand grips my waist tightly as he tastes me hungrily, desperately, as if he has already decided he will never see me again after this moment. I twine my fingers in his hair, just as desperate and scared as him. I know no matter what happens after this, this boy will always have a place in my heart, my soul, my very being.

I pull away and look him in the eye. "Please," I say, "you know I'm strong enough, Cassius. I wont let you lock me up. What can I do to help?"

He is silent for a long moment. Finally, he sighs, shaking his head. "We need to find Maxim. If we get to him before he gets to us, we can have him call all of the pirates off and no one gets hurt." The distant rumble of chaos of people still trying to find safety in the House hits us in our vacant hallway and Cassius straightens up. "Do you know where my father's office is?" he asks.

I nod, remembering the time he took me there to give me drugged hallucinogenic cookies.

"Behind the bookshelf? Go there and wait for me; I'll grab weapons and any guards willing to follow me and not my father." He looks doubtful, but there is a fire in his eyes, the gold flecks blazing as he looks at me.

I turn and run toward the Library, ducking out of people's reach and shoving others out of the way that wont move. My dress flows behind me as I run and my hair has come loose from the intricate knot Alice had put it in. I'm sure I look like a disaster, but I have no time to think of that right now. The library is dark and empty once I shove through the large wooden doors. I pause, catching my breath, before heading to the book shelf that I had walked behind Peter to.

It takes me four tries before I come across the book "Little White Bird" bound in a very old looking leather and scrawled in gold ink. I pull gingerly on it and sigh in relief when I hear the whirs of the contraption working the trap door moving. The book case moves to the side and I throw myself in before it closes behind me.

The room is almost completely dark, the only light coming in from a dirty sky light. The book case door slams behind me definitively and I jump.

I stumble into the darkened room, trying not to trip over my gown. I see the chair at the large desk is sporting the shadow of a man. "Cassius," I breathe, but as I walk farther into the room, I know it is not him.

The man is burly, with choppy salt-and-pepper hair and a scarred face. He fixes his stare on me and smiles. "What does it take to get a drink in this place?" he muses. "You must be the favorite Bride; my sources tell me she's the blonde one."

Slowly, I take a step back.

He raises an eyebrow. "I asked for a drink," he says in a low voice. He shifts and I notice he has a large gun in his hands. "It would be wise to get me one."

Not knowing what else to do, I turn and walk toward the table adorning the side of the room closest to me. There is a stand against the wall with glasses and brandy. I shakily pour some into a glass, but I manage to get more on the stained wood table. I grit my teeth and try to focus on the task at hand, but all my mind is saying is "Cassius, Cassius, Cassius."

When I manage to make enough of the alcohol into the glass I walk it over to the man.

Without taking the glass, he grins and looks me up and down. "That is a pretty dress," he comments. "Suiting for such a beautiful young woman. I might have use for you, yet."

"You're Maxim," I assume.

"That," he says in his thickly accent voice, "I am. I'm looking very forward to, er, getting to know you," he says with such a dark smile that I cant see straight for a second due to pure fear.

I throw the brandy in his face and, stunned, he tumbles backward with a cry.

Before he can straighten and aim his gun at me, I run from the room as fast as I can. I can hardly think straight, but I know I have to get to Cassius before Maxim finds him. But where he could be, I dont have a clue. I know my best chance of finding him is to go to the map room and search through the security cameras until I find him. Taking a deep breath I run back to where I came from, hoping that I dont run into any pirates or Maxim on the way.

The House is almost completely empty now, I notice. Everyone must be outside trying to find their way to safety. I make it to the map room faster than I would have if the teeming crowd were still around. I throw myself into the room and run up to the monitor, searching the buttons frantically to see any that look familiar. I click on all of the rooms in the house one after another and see no sign of him. I find Daphne and Vivian in what I would assume to be Peter and his wife's bedroom. At least they're okay.

Once I've gone through every room in the House with no signs of Cas, I decide to search all of the cameras lining the forests. Frantically I click through them one by one, my anxiety heightened each time he doesnt turn up on the screen. Finally, though, I flip to one of the cameras in the tree of what looks to be a field and gasp when I see him. He is kneeling on the ground with three men with guns trained on him. Maxim is one of them, saying something that I cannot hear through the cameras. Though he is in no position to look triumphant, Cassius looks just as defiant as ever.

My heart seems to dissolve entirely. They're going to execute him.

**AN: whaaaaat! Review my lovelies! Till next time! **


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